On the evening of February 18, 2023, Diva Ayuso, a 32-year-old Black / African American woman from Sharon, Massachusetts, was fatally shot in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. At approximately 8:46 PM, police responded to a ShotSpotter activation on Fermoy Heights Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered Ayuso suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.
At the time of her death, Ayuso was a mother to a 12-year-old son and a dedicated employee of the Massachusetts Environmental Police, where she had received a citation for outstanding performance in 2022.
The investigation into Ayuso's death led Boston police to identify 20-year-old Stepheon Wells of South Boston as a suspect. In June 2023, the police announced that a warrant had been issued for his arrest on charges of murder and firearm-related offenses. Wells was described as a 20-year-old Black male, approximately 5'3" tall and weighing about 125 pounds. Authorities cautioned that he might be in possession of a firearm and asked for the public's assistance in locating him.
On June 30, 2023, members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit arrested Stepheon Wells in the Fenway area. He was taken into custody on Hemenway Street and was expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court. Ayuso's family, who said they did not know the suspect, expressed a sense of comfort that an arrest had been made, viewing it as a step towards justice for the beloved mother. Her uncle described her as a "very happy, joyful person, outgoing," and her death as a "huge loss" for the family.
