In the cool evening of October 26, 2018, a tragic event unfolded in a parking lot on Van Dyke Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey, forever altering the lives of two families. Larenz Ogarro, a 23-year-old male, was fatally shot that night, his life cut short by multiple gunshot wounds. The incident, which also involved the assault of a 19-year-old man from North Brunswick, prompted an immediate and intensive investigation by local law enforcement.
The events leading to the fatal shooting
began with a physical altercation. Larenz's brother, Tyrese O'Garro, was involved in a fight with a man named Eric Inman, which left both men injured. After tending to his wounds at his brother's home, Tyrese returned to the scene and confronted Inman again, this time knocking him unconscious with a punch. In response to this, another man, Christopher Thompson, drew a gun and began chasing the O'Garro brothers, firing at least ten shots. Larenz was struck twice in the back and later succumbed to his injuries at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. His death was officially ruled a homicide by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner.
In the days following the shooting, the investigation quickly led to two suspects. Eric “E-Z” Inman, a 25-year-old from New Brunswick, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was subsequently held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center. The primary suspect in the murder, Christopher “C-Dub” Thompson, 26, of Edison, initially remained at large. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Thompson was later apprehended in Georgia.
The legal process culminated in a nine-day trial where Christopher Thompson was convicted of the first-degree murder of Larenz Ogarro and the first-degree attempted murder of Tyrese O'Garro. His conviction also included charges for unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and hindering his own apprehension. For these crimes, Thompson was sentenced to an aggregate of forty-eight years in prison, ensuring that the man responsible for the death of Larenz Ogarro would be held accountable for his actions.
