On a summer evening in Providence, Rhode Island, the life of 22-year-old Kilplagott Kip Stewart Jr., a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. On June 18, 2016, Stewart was sitting on a porch at the Hartford Park housing complex when gunfire erupted. He sustained a critical wound to the head and was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries two days later, on June 20, 2016.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly, and
within days, Providence police arrested 21-year-old Jose Morales in connection with the fatal shooting. Authorities revealed that Stewart was likely an unintended victim, caught in the crossfire of a dispute. It was a senseless act of violence where Morales, an acquaintance of Stewart, fired a. 32 caliber pistol during a physical altercation between two groups in the courtyard of the housing project. The bullet tragically struck his friend in the forehead.
In the aftermath, the legal process unfolded, leading to a resolution in the case. Jose Morales was charged with murder and firearm offenses. He was held without bail pending court proceedings. On September 24, 2018, Morales entered a plea of nolo contendere, or no contest, to a charge of second-degree murder. The court sentenced him to 50 years in prison, with 35 years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation. This plea and sentencing brought a conclusion to the legal chapter of a devastating event that took the life of a young man who was a former basketball player at Mount Pleasant High School.
