Joey Julian Torres was a 14-year-old boy from Rockford, Illinois, who attended Auburn High School. He and his 17-year-old cousin, Jorge Torres, who also went to Auburn, were inseparable. Their family described them as young men full of dreams and aspirations, but their lives were cut short by an act of gun violence that their loved ones called the “ultimate betrayal.”
On the evening of June 30, 2023, a 17-year-old acquaintance allegedly picked up Joey and Jorge to hang out.
The family later said that around 8 p.m., something happened inside the car. The evening ended with both cousins shot and left in the 1400 block of Willard Avenue. Jorge was pronounced dead at the scene. Joey was rushed to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries on July 2, 2023.
The family was devastated by the loss of two of their own. “You would never think it would be your own blood, getting shot in these streets,” said their cousin, Ashley Alvarez Torres. “That’s like a movie. That’s not right.” One of the victim's mothers, Bertha Torres, said, “I just want my babies back.” The family expressed shock that the alleged gunman was someone they had welcomed into their homes. In the wake of the tragedy, relatives started a GoFundMe to help with burial costs and a petition to raise awareness about gun violence.
Police soon made two arrests in connection with the murders. A 17-year-old male was taken into custody and charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He was held at a juvenile detention facility. Authorities also arrested Liberty Powers, then 18, charging her with felony obstruction of justice.
On October 1, 2024, Liberty Powers, then 19, pleaded guilty to the charge against her. A judge sentenced her to six months in jail, though the sentence was stayed as part of Second Chance Probation, which she would serve for 30 days. She was also given credit for two days served and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service. The case against the teen accused of the murders is still proceeding through the court system as of October 2024.
