On the afternoon of March 25, 2013, in Hartford, Connecticut, a burst of gunfire shattered the neighborhood quiet. Kwante Tyshawn Feliciano, a 19-year-old Black / African American male, was chased down Clark Street by an assailant in a hooded sweatshirt who was firing a gun. From his home, Kwante's father, Randolph Feliciano, heard the shots and looked out to witness the horrific scene of his son being pursued.
Kwante was struck by the gunfire and collapsed in a driveway at 138 Clark
Street. His father rushed to his side, placed him in his red pickup truck, and sped toward St. Francis Hospital. On the way, police who were responding to a shot detection system alert spotted the speeding truck and stopped it. Upon learning of the dire situation, they provided an escort to the hospital. Despite these efforts, Kwante was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest shortly after arrival.
Tragically, Kwante was not the only victim that day. A 30-year-old bystander named Kelly Cooper, who was watching the events unfold from a parked vehicle, was struck in the head by a stray bullet. Friends transported him to the same hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day, turning the investigation into a double homicide.
In the aftermath, the Hartford Police Department faced challenges in gathering information. Many potential witnesses were reluctant to come forward. The investigation uncovered information that Kwante had reportedly told friends that if anything were to happen to him, it would be at the hands of individuals from an area known as "New Jack City," located around Main Street. It was suggested that a dispute, possibly over a female, may have been a motive. Despite identifying persons of interest affiliated with that area, police have not been able to gather sufficient evidence to make any arrests. The case remains unsolved, and the gunman, described as wearing a hooded sweatshirt, fled north on Clark Street and has never been apprehended.
