On a summer afternoon in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the life of 18-year-old Brad Lourenco, a White/Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. On June 5, 2017, at approximately 2:30 p.m., gunfire erupted in Roberto Clemente Park, situated near the intersection of South First Street and Blackmer Street. First responders discovered Lourenco with a severe gunshot wound to the back of his head.
He was rushed to a hospital in Rhode Island where he remained in critical condition for several hours before succumbing to his injuries later that evening. Lourenco, an aspiring rapper known as "Young Bank$," had his own recent encounters with law enforcement, having been arrested twice in the 24 hours leading up to his death.
The investigation into the shooting pointed to an ongoing and violent feud between rival street gangs in New Bedford. Authorities believe the shooting was an act of retaliation connected to the recent non-fatal shooting of the half-brother of one of the suspects. Shortly after Lourenco was shot, two men, Ivan Fontanez Jr., 20, and Keeland Rose, 23, were apprehended by New Bedford Police. A witness had followed the pair after the shooting and alerted a clerk at a nearby oil company to call 911. Police found Fontanez and Rose out of breath in the vicinity.
Following their arrest, both Fontanez and Rose faced multiple charges, including assault and battery by discharge of a firearm and various illegal weapons offenses. These charges were quickly upgraded to murder. As the legal process unfolded, Keeland Rose pleaded guilty in 2019 to a charge of accessory to the murder and was sentenced to serve three to six years in state prison. Ivan Fontanez Jr. stood trial and in November 2023, a jury convicted him of second-degree murder, as well as charges of carrying an illegal firearm and a loaded illegal firearm.
The conclusion of the case brought a measure of justice for Brad Lourenco's family. Fontanez was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving 20 years. During the sentencing, the profound and lasting impact of Lourenco's death on his family was shared through a statement from his uncle. He described his nephew as a smart, creative, and energetic young man who had just graduated from high school with a promising future ahead of him, a future that was stolen in a moment of senseless violence.
