On a Mother's Day evening in Phoenix, Arizona, what should have been a time of celebration turned into a lifetime of grief for one family. Seventeen-year-old Erin Carrillo Felix, a male described by his loved ones as joyful with a contagious laugh, was fatally shot on May 9, 2021. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. at Desert West Park, a space intended for community recreation near 67th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Phoenix fire crews who responded to the scene pronounced him dead.
In the immediate aftermath, Erin's family was left reeling, desperate for answers in the sudden and violent loss of the teenager. They remembered him as a young man with a big heart who deeply loved his family, especially his cousins and siblings. A GoFundMe page was established to help with the unexpected funeral expenses, and on it, his family poured out their pain, calling him 'the man of our heart.' Despite their pleas for witnesses to come forward, the Phoenix police investigation yielded no immediate leads, and no suspects were publicly identified. The family's calls for justice echoed in the community, amplified by local news coverage, as they mourned the boy who was the first grandson of the family.
Tragically, the family's suffering was compounded less than six months later. On the eve of Halloween, November 13, 2021, Erin's 39-year-old father, Jorge Curo Escarinho, was also shot and killed. He was leaving a party at a family member's home in South Phoenix when he was attacked. This second devastating loss left behind eight children, with another on the way who would never meet their father. Like in his son's case, the shooting of Jorge Curo Escarinho left investigators searching for a suspect, and his death also remains unsolved.
To date, no arrests have been announced in connection with the death of Erin Carrillo Felix. The search for a suspect or suspects in his killing, as well as in the subsequent murder of his father, continues, leaving a family doubly shattered by gun violence and still waiting for justice.
