In the early morning hours of September 4, 2019, the quiet of the Sterling Woods condominium complex in Danbury, Connecticut, was shattered by a fatal gunshot. Jason James Lowry Hoff, a 33-year-old Caucasian male from Brewster, New York, was visiting a friend at the complex when the incident occurred. Emergency responders were called to the scene at approximately 6:07 a.m. and discovered Hoff with a gunshot wound to his chest.
He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly focused on Hoff's friend, David Ramos, who was 33 at the time and resided in the condominium where the shooting took place. For days, Ramos eluded authorities, but he was eventually apprehended on September 11, 2019, in a friend's apartment. The weapon, a. 22-caliber Walther P22 with its serial number obliterated, was later found in a storm drain near the scene of the shooting.
During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that both Hoff and Ramos were under the influence of crack cocaine at the time of the incident. Ramos claimed that the shooting was a tragic accident, stating that the gun had unintentionally discharged while he was handling it. Initially, Ramos was charged with first-degree manslaughter, as well as several drug-related offenses, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, and for interfering with the duties of a police officer.
In October 2022, David Ramos pleaded guilty to reduced charges of second-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence, and alteration of a firearm serial number. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of two years to be served. At his sentencing, Ramos expressed his remorse to Hoff's family, stating, "I never intended for Jason to get hurt. I hope you forgive me for the pain and suffering I caused your family."
