In the early evening of April 10, 2024, the life of 17-year-old Romain Sterling, a Black/African American male, was irrevocably altered on the 1200 block of Park Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. At approximately 6:54 p.m., the city's ShotSpotter system detected gunfire, and dispatchers began receiving calls about a person shot. When police and emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they found Romain suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
He was immediately transported to Bridgeport Hospital in critical condition. For a week, he fought for his life, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on April 17, 2024.
Romain was a junior at Central High School and was remembered by his basketball coach at STORM Academy as a talented young man who loved the sport and his family. His death was felt as a significant loss within the community and by the police officers dedicated to protecting the city's residents. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police began an intensive investigation, developing several strong leads but also appealing to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest. While two individuals were taken into custody at the scene, their charges were unrelated to the shooting itself.
The investigation into Romain’s death led detectives to identify 21-year-old Kiheem "Patch" Benbow of Ansonia as a suspect. On April 24, Benbow was taken into custody on a separate warrant, at which time he was found in possession of a 9mm "ghost gun" that lacked a serial number. This led to initial charges of illegal transfer of a pistol, violation of a protective order, and carrying a pistol without a permit. Following this arrest, investigators obtained a warrant charging him in connection with Romain's death.
Kiheem Benbow was subsequently charged with murder, criminal attempt at first-degree assault, and carrying a pistol without a permit. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, a witness who was with Romain stated that a man in camouflage on a porch had asked them a question and then began shooting before they could answer. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the man, identified as Benbow, firing at the two and then fleeing. While in custody, Benbow admitted to firing at Romain and the other individual but claimed his bullet was not the one that was fatal. He did not provide a motive for the shooting. A judge set his bond at $2 million.
