In the late hours of a Wednesday night in Hartford, Connecticut, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of the city's south end. On July 24, 2019, Yowseph Euel Lopez, a 25-year-old White male from East Hartford, was killed in what police described as a targeted drive-by shooting. The incident occurred just after 11:30 p.m. in the 300 block of Hillside Avenue.
Hartford Police were alerted to the shooting by both ShotSpotter technology and a number of 911 calls from concerned residents.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Lopez suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate response, his injuries proved fatal. This violent act marked the 17th homicide in the city for that year.
The investigation into the death of Yowseph Lopez was promptly taken over by the Hartford Police Major Crimes Unit. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, authorities stated that they had not yet identified any suspects. However, they did express a belief that the shooting was a targeted attack and that there was no broader danger to the public. The investigation into who was responsible for the death of the young man was ongoing.
