In the early morning hours of August 31, 2020, a tragedy unfolded in Bridgeport, Connecticut, that claimed the lives of 22-year-old Karla Paola Bermudez and her unborn daughter. While asleep in a second-floor apartment on Washington Terrace, a place she was visiting, a sudden barrage of bullets tore through the bedroom walls from the outside. The young woman, who was 23 weeks pregnant, was struck by multiple gunshots.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, transporting Bermudez to St.
Vincent's Medical Center, but her injuries were too severe. Both she and her unborn child, who was to be named A'nani Dior Bermudez, were pronounced dead. Her 23-year-old boyfriend, who was in bed beside her, was also shot but survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators found the room riddled with bullets, with at least 13 spent rounds recovered from the area where the couple had been sleeping. The hail of gunfire, estimated to be between eight and ten shots, had awakened neighbors around 5:35 a.m.
Police quickly determined that Bermudez was not the intended victim of the violent attack. They believe her boyfriend, Sean Fyall, was the target. Authorities have stated that Fyall has not been cooperative with the investigation into the shooting. Tragically, Bermudez's death came just a day after she had been mourning the loss of her cousin, Heriberto Marquez, who had been shot and killed in a separate incident in Bridgeport. While the proximity of the two deaths was a cruel coincidence for the family, police have stated that they do not believe the homicides are related.
Described as an outgoing and friendly person who was often the life of the party, Karla was a talented and aspiring makeup artist. She was honing her skills at the Oxford Academy of Hair Design and also had a passion for modeling and photography. As of late 2021, the investigation into her murder was still considered open and active, with police continuing to search for the person or persons responsible for firing the fatal shots that ended two lives before they could truly begin. No arrests have been made in connection with her death.
