A night of celebration turned into a tragedy in the early morning hours of August 7, 2021, ending the life of 29-year-old Kerwins Pimental, a male from Mattapan. Pimental was with a group of about ten friends from the Boston area, celebrating a birthday at the Fuego Lounge on West Friendship Street in Providence, Rhode Island. The atmosphere inside the club was festive, but the mood soured sometime after 2 a.m.
when a dispute broke out between Pimental's group and another party.
The conflict spilled outside the nightclub, escalating from a verbal argument to a physical fight. Amid the chaos, a man who had been involved in the altercation, 36-year-old Miguel Lacourt of Johnston, Rhode Island, was reportedly knocked to the ground. Following the fight, Lacourt walked away from the immediate scene, retrieved a handgun from a vehicle, and returned to the area in front of the club. He then opened fire, fatally shooting both Kerwins Pimental and his 27-year-old friend, Mario Diaz. One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Following an investigation, the Providence Police identified Miguel Lacourt as the suspect. He was arrested on a warrant during a traffic stop in Johnston. Lacourt was subsequently charged in the deaths of both men. During his trial, surveillance footage from inside the lounge was presented, showing Lacourt with distinctive tattoos and wearing a specific hat and sneakers. DNA evidence from a strand of hair, a Cincinnati Reds hat, and a sneaker left at the scene also matched Lacourt. In January 2024, a jury found Miguel Lacourt guilty of second-degree murder and other charges in the death of Mario Diaz. However, the jury acquitted him on the same counts for the death of Kerwins Pimental. In April 2024, Lacourt was sentenced to a total of 60 years to life in prison for the murder of Mario Diaz.
