In the winter of 2022, the life of Christian Feliciano, a 20-year-old Hispanic man from Hartford, Connecticut, was tragically cut short. Known to his loved ones as "Kiki," Christian was described by his aunt as a happy and well-known kid who was a good friend. His violent death sent shockwaves through his community.
On the afternoon of February 17, 2022, Christian was walking out of a barbershop on Franklin Avenue when he was ambushed.
A person inside a dark-colored BMW sedan that had been waiting outside opened fire, striking him multiple times. First responders found Christian unresponsive on the sidewalk; despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the days that followed, friends and family gathered for a prayer vigil to remember Christian and call for justice. His aunt, Marilyn Quinones, spoke of the deep void his absence left and his mother's inconsolable grief. The local group Mothers United Against Violence joined the family in pleading with the community for anyone with information to come forward to the authorities.
Hartford police detectives investigating the homicide used surveillance video from inside the barbershop to track the events leading up to the shooting. The footage showed two men who saw Christian in the shop just before he was killed. One of the men, later identified as Leonard Laboy, was seen mouthing Christian’s nickname to his companion before they both left. Investigators learned the shooting was an act of vengeance connected to gang violence. This evidence led police and the U.S. Marshal's Violent Fugitive Task Force to arrest Laboy, then 23, in July 2022. He was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and criminal possession of a firearm.
The getaway driver, Juan Perez, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering. In April 2025, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In June 2026, the shooter, Leonard Laboy, pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and corrupt organization and racketeering as part of a plea agreement for a 27-year prison sentence.
