In the summer of 2017, the life of 18-year-old Keely Birch, a Black male, was cut short in a burst of violence in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the evening of June 29th, an argument erupted between two groups of men in the parking lot of the Addison Apartments. Though the initial confrontation seemed to dissipate as both parties left the scene, the dispute was far from over.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m., the two vehicles returned to the apartment complex.
As Keely Birch was exiting the passenger side of the car he was in, gunfire rang out. The suspects in the other vehicle opened fire, fatally wounding the teenager. His death marked the city's 45th homicide of the year. The tragic event left his family devastated and prompted them to create a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.
The investigation into the shooting led Tulsa Police to three suspects. Eric Lopez, also known as Eddie Lopez, was identified as the shooter and arrested on a complaint of first-degree murder. He was discovered in an apartment with Jose Manuel Arzuaga-Ortiz and Lopez's girlfriend, Dayaniara Pacheco. Pacheco was arrested on a complaint of accessory to first-degree murder, with reports indicating she was trying to gather money for herself and Lopez to flee the state. Arzuaga-Ortiz also faced a charge of accessory to first-degree murder, with authorities alleging he may have deleted information related to the shooting from his cellphone. Following the arrests, Lopez was held without bond, while Pacheco and Arzuaga-Ortiz had their bonds set at $500,000 each. Lopez also faced additional charges for assault with a deadly weapon and outstanding traffic warrants.
