William Parsons, a 15-year-old Black male, was a promising sophomore at Central High School in Providence, Rhode Island, with dreams of becoming a Rhode Island State Trooper. On the afternoon of September 5, 2018, his life was tragically cut short when he was shot and killed outside the Providence Career and Technical Academy. He was an innocent bystander, waiting for his ride home, when a dispute that he was not involved in escalated to gunfire.
The events leading to William's death
began with a verbal altercation between 16-year-old Joel Loarca and two other juveniles. Following that argument, another individual exchanged aggressive words with Loarca. In response, Loarca, a member of the Hanover Boyz gang, pulled out a. 357 Magnum Taurus revolver and fired a shot in the direction of the third individual. The bullet missed its intended target and struck William in the face and neck, killing him.
In the chaotic moments after the shooting, as students fled, Loarca attempted to flee the scene. In the process, he accidentally shot himself in the thigh. About half a mile from the school, he was found by emergency personnel who treated him for his gunshot wound. Initially, Loarca claimed he had been the victim of a drive-by shooting. However, video surveillance from the area showed him hopping on one leg and then hiding his shirt, which was wrapped around the revolver, in a deserted lot. Police later recovered the weapon.
Joel Loarca was arrested and, due to the severity of the crime, his case was waived from juvenile to adult court. He ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a firearm on school grounds, assault with a dangerous weapon, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. In August 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 10 years to be served. William's family and friends remembered him as a kind, caring, and respectful young man who was dearly loved and had a bright future ahead of him.
