In the early morning hours of a Thursday in Hamilton Township, a quiet neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunshots, marking the tragic end for 10-year-old Evangelina Velasquez. Evangelina, a fourth-grade student at Foundation Academy Charter School in Trenton, New Jersey, was a vibrant and determined young girl, known for her strong will and loving heart. She was with her mother, Claribel Torres, at the home of her mother's boyfriend on Henry Street.
It was there that the unthinkable happened.
Neighbors reported hearing at least five gunshots just before 4 a.m. Authorities who responded to the scene discovered a horrific scene inside the residence. Evangelina, her mother, and her mother's boyfriend were all found deceased. The investigation concluded that the boyfriend had shot and killed both Evangelina and her mother before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. Tragically, two other children were present in the home at the time but were physically unharmed.
Evangelina's father, Bladimir Velasquez, described his daughter as a clever and active child who was full of life. He recalled her love for swimming and her decisive nature. In the wake of this devastating loss, he revealed that he had previously expressed concerns for his daughter's safety and had been involved in a pending court case regarding her well-being. The community was left to mourn the senseless loss of a young girl who was just beginning to blossom and her mother, both taken in a final act of violence that left a family shattered.
