Felicia Obeng, a 41-year-old Black woman and mother of two young boys, was enjoying a summer evening with her family outside her home in Worcester, Massachusetts. According to a friend, this was a daily routine for Felicia, a simple act of getting fresh air. On Saturday, July 16, 2022, this peaceful moment was shattered by an act of sudden violence that would devastate her family and community.
Shortly after 7 p.m., as Felicia sat with her mother and others in front of her Cambridge
Street apartment, a gunman opened fire on the group. Felicia was struck by the gunfire and suffered fatal wounds. Her 63-year-old mother was also shot and sustained serious but non-fatal injuries. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Felicia Obeng deceased. Her mother was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Worcester Police detectives launched an extensive investigation into the shooting. Investigators determined that a man had rented a vehicle, driven to Cambridge Street with a loaded firearm, and fired multiple rounds into the group of people gathered outside the home. The suspect was identified as Keith Jones, a 32-year-old from the nearby city of Fitchburg. Police also learned that Jones was not licensed to carry a firearm in Massachusetts.
A month after the shooting, in August 2022, authorities apprehended Keith Jones. In December 2022, a Worcester County Grand Jury indicted him on multiple charges, moving the case to Superior Court. The charges included murder, two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, two counts of assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, and several firearms possession offenses.
In January 2023, Keith Jones pleaded not guilty to all charges in Worcester Superior Court. He continues to be held without bail as he awaits trial.
