On a summer evening in Providence, Rhode Island, the life of Jorge Gonzalez Colon, a 37-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically cut short. On July 1, 2020, the contractor was working at a residence on Progress Avenue in the Silver Lake neighborhood. He was standing outside, engaged in a conversation with another person, when multiple gunshots were fired.
Struck by the gunfire, Gonzalez Colon was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The subsequent investigation by Providence Police revealed a heartbreaking case of mistaken identity. Detectives determined that Gonzalez Colon was not the intended victim of the shooting. The assailants had been targeting the individual he was speaking with at the time. He was, by all accounts, an innocent bystander caught in a senseless act of violence. Friends and community members remembered him as a hardworking and good person.
The investigation led to two arrests. The primary suspect and alleged shooter was identified as 18-year-old Felix Hernandez Rosado. He was charged with murder and conspiracy. In a surprising turn, a 14-year-old girl was also taken into custody and faced the same charges. Due to her age, her name was not publicly released, but authorities stated she played an integral role in the homicide.
In May 2022, Felix Hernandez Rosado, then 20, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. For the killing of Jorge Gonzalez Colon, he was sentenced to serve a life sentence at the Adult Correctional Institutions, bringing a legal conclusion to the case.
