On a summer evening in Worcester, Massachusetts, 22-year-old David Luyando, a male, went to Hope Cemetery on June 25, 2015, with family members to place flowers on the grave of a friend who had been killed four years earlier. Upon their arrival, they discovered that the headstone of his friend, Javier Santiago, was missing. As they stood by the gravesite contemplating the missing tombstone, a car drove by and shots were fired into the group. David was struck in the head.
He was rushed to UMass Memorial Hospital where he died from his injuries.
The investigation that followed revealed that David was not the intended target of the shooting. He was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of a gang-related feud. The intended target was Kevin Parker, who was with Luyando at the cemetery. Six days prior to the shooting, Parker, a member of the Providence Street Posse, had allegedly shot Jose Lora, a member of the rival Kilby Street Posse. Lora, seeking revenge, saw Parker at the cemetery and opened fire, discharging his weapon six times in Parker's direction. One of those bullets fatally struck David Luyando.
Following the shooting, the suspect, Jose Lora, fled the scene. He disposed of the weapon, cleaned the car he was in, and eventually fled to the Dominican Republic. He was later apprehended and returned to the United States to face charges. In May 2018, Jose Lora was found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of David Luyando. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Luyando was remembered by his family as an outgoing and funny young man who had graduated from Worcester Technical High School and worked as a personal care assistant for his mother.
