On the evening of May 30, 2023, in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 8-year-old Jesús Pérez-Salome and his 9-year-old brother, Sebastián, were playing with kittens in their backyard when they were tragically killed by gunfire. A third victim, 19-year-old Joshua Lugo-Pérez, who resided in the same household but was not related to the brothers, was also fatally shot. A 33-year-old neighbor, Luis Cancel, was injured by a stray bullet and underwent surgery; he is expected to recover.
Authorities believe that the assailants targeted Lugo-Pérez due to a prior argument, with the young brothers becoming unintended victims of the attack. The Lebanon County District Attorney's Office identified and charged three individuals in connection with the murders:
- **Alex Torres-Santos**, 22, who was on house arrest for previous firearm-related offenses at the time of the shooting and was wearing an ankle monitor.
- **James Fernandez-Reyes**, 16, charged as an adult.
- **Ivan Claudio Rosero**, 27, who was apprehended in Philadelphia after a weeklong manhunt.
All three face multiple counts of criminal homicide, conspiracy, and related offenses. The District Attorney's Office has indicated the possibility of seeking the death penalty against Torres-Santos and Rosero.
The tragic deaths of Jesús and Sebastián Pérez-Salome have deeply affected the Lebanon community. The family, who relocated from Puerto Rico to the United States in 2019 seeking better opportunities, had previously endured hardships, including losing their belongings in an apartment fire a year earlier. The community has rallied to support them, with fundraising efforts underway to assist in transporting the children's bodies back to Puerto Rico for burial.
This incident underscores the devastating impact of gun violence on innocent lives and has prompted calls for increased efforts to address such violence in the community.
