A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to support the grieving family of a Kennedy High student who was fatally shot in Richmond on Friday, March 19.
Richmond police don’t believe 17-year-old Melvin Rodriguez-Marquez was in a gang or that he knew his alleged killer prior to their encounter inside the Stop and Shop Market on Potrero Avenue.
Security footage captured the incident in which the suspect, identified as 16-year-old Carl Townsend, and Melvin apparently exchanged looks and possibly words while inside the store, police said. Townsend allegedly fatally shot Melvin as soon as they left the store, police said.
Three days later, Townsend, who is not a Richmond resident, was arrested in Fairfield in connection with the murder. The East Bay Times reports that the day before the shooting, Townsend had been released on probation from juvenile detention in Alameda County, “despite active arrest warrants on robbery charges in San Joaquin County.”
Along with his family, members of the community are mourning the passing of a promising young person over senseless violence. One of his teachers at Kennedy High described Melvin as “a great kid.” His family is trying to raise money to pay for his burial.
To support the GoFundMe account, click here.
