In the pre-dawn hours of August 2, 2017, a young Hispanic/Latino male named Romeo Rodriguez, age 14, was out with friends in West Valley City, Utah. The group was in a pickup truck at Kings Point Park when they were approached by another group on foot. An exchange of words escalated quickly and tragically when at least one gunshot was fired. A single bullet tore through the truck's windshield, striking Romeo, who was sitting in the back seat, in the face.
His friends rushed him to the Jordan Valley Medical Center's West Valley Campus, from where he was flown to Primary Children's Hospital in critical condition. Despite medical efforts, the young man succumbed to his injuries later that day, on August 3, 2017, just a week before his fifteenth birthday.
The investigation into the senseless killing moved swiftly. West Valley City police initially looked into whether the shooting was gang-related, believing the confrontation may have stemmed from a "perceived gang affiliation." Neighbors in the area of the park reported hearing multiple gunshots around 3 a.m. The vague initial information about the suspect or suspects left a community on edge. About a week after the fatal shooting, police made an arrest. On August 9, 2017, they took 18-year-old Frank Tsinnijinne into custody and booked him into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder.
Frank Tsinnijinne was initially charged with murder, two counts of discharging a firearm, and obstruction of justice. In 2021, the case saw a development when Tsinnijinne, then 22, accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and the other charges were dropped. He was sentenced to a term of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison. During his sentencing, Tsinnijinnie read a letter of apology to Romeo's family, expressing his sorrow. Years later, at a parole hearing in August 2025, Tsinnijinnie provided his account of the night's events. He claimed he was with friends to conduct a drug deal when the truck carrying Romeo approached them aggressively. Believing someone in the truck had fired at him, he said he fired back. He stated he did not know anyone had been hit until his arrest. Romeo's family, including his parents and nine siblings, spoke at the sentencing about the immense pain of their loss, remembering the 14-year-old as the heart of their family.
