On a Tuesday evening, October 4, 2022, in Waterbury, Connecticut, a 17-year-old Hispanic male named Wisin Resto Rodriguez, a student at Wilby High School, was fatally shot. The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. near a multi-family home on Bishop Street, just a short distance from his own residence. According to his family, Wisin had been watching television with them shortly before he decided to walk to a nearby store to buy a soda.
It was during this brief outing that he was struck by multiple gunshots.
Responding to reports of shots fired, Waterbury Police officers discovered the wounded teenager. Despite being gravely injured with gunshot wounds to his neck, chest, abdomen, and back, Wisin managed to climb a fence to get back into his yard. He alerted a family member, saying, "They got me get my brother," before collapsing. He was rushed to Saint Mary's Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. His family was left devastated by the sudden violence, a pain compounded by a previous family tragedy in 2011 when Wisin's younger brother was killed by a driver. The family's grief was immense, with his brother, Raul Ortiz, suggesting that the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity.
The Waterbury Police Department's Major Crimes detectives launched an intensive investigation into the homicide. Their efforts led to the arrests of four individuals in connection with the fatal shooting. Rafael Calderon, who was 19 at the time, was charged with murder. The other three individuals, Kylle Brewer, Freddy Montalvo, and Isiah Montalvo, were juveniles at the time of the incident but were charged as adults.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Rafael Calderon pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of special parole. The other three individuals also pleaded guilty to reduced charges. One of the juveniles, Kylle Brewer, who was 16, pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a permit and third-degree larceny in connection to the shooting. The arrests and the circumstances surrounding the case have highlighted ongoing concerns about gun violence and repeat offenders within the Waterbury community.
