Amareuito Fernandes, a 27-year-old Black man, died on the night of August 3, 2023, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a city he had called home for seven years after moving from Praia, Cape Verde. The evening was shattered by the sound of gunfire, prompting a series of events that would end in tragedy.
At approximately 11:04 p.m., the New Bedford Police Department was alerted to multiple shots fired in the vicinity of 123 County Street through a ShotSpotter notification.
Simultaneously, several 911 calls reported the shooting and a male victim in the area of 116 County Street. When first responders arrived at the scene, they discovered evidence of a shooting but found no victim. A short time later, a private vehicle arrived at Saint Luke's Hospital carrying Fernandes, who had sustained gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts to save him, he was pronounced deceased at 11:33 p.m.
In the immediate aftermath, New Bedford Police, along with Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's office and prosecutors from the Homicide Unit, launched an active and ongoing investigation into the shooting. As of a week following the incident, authorities had not publicly identified any suspects or announced any arrests in connection with Fernandes's death. While there was some public speculation that a potential suspect may have been taken into custody for an unrelated matter, officials did not confirm these rumors. The investigation into the homicide remains active.
