A 20-year-old man is facing murder charges for the shooting death of a young U.S. Navy veteran who family members say was killed during a “senseless act of road rage.”
According to local reports, New York City police say Keino Campbell, 27, was found unconscious in a 2012 gray Infiniti around 2 a.m. on June 14 in the Bronx.
Authorities say Campbell got into an argument with another driver, and the confrontation escalated when the driver shot the 27-year-old three times in the chest.
Campbell tried to drive away, but lost consciousness and crashed a few blocks away from the shooting scene. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Family members say Campbell proudly served in the U.S. Navy from 2019 to 2022. He dreamed of becoming a pilot one day, but due to issues with his eyesight, he changed course and made plans to go back to school to train in security and electrical engineering.
Campbell’s mother said he was preparing to start a new job when he was fatally shot.
“I would rather my son be alive right now than me because I know he would do such great things in this world if he had a chance,” Campbell’s mother, Suzette Thomas, told the Daily News. “I’m so heartbroken.”
Police arrested 20-year-old Michael Aracena, who now faces murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with Campbell’s death.
Family members say investigators told them they believe the suspect demanded money from Campbell, then fatally shot him when he said he didn’t have any.
“They saw this man with a nice vehicle, they thought he had money and this is why this crime really happened,” Thomas said. “My son loved cars and he saved every money he gets.”
They say they’re shocked and devastated that Campbell’s life was taken by such a senseless act of violence. They said he never made trouble and only sought to better his own life and make sure his family was never without.
“My brother helped everyone in the community,” Campbell’s sister, Crystal Thomas, remarked. “He was very respectful. He was a young Black man just trying to make it out. He is not even a confrontational person. He’s a gentle giant.”
The family noted that Campbell’s killing comes after the deaths of two other family members in the last three months — a 36-year-old cousin and a 19-month-old boy who “was born with half a heart.”
Campbell’s family launched an online fundraiser to raise donations for Campbell’s funeral expenses.
“He was a U.S. Navy veteran, a kind and humble young man with a calm spirit, a bright future, and dreams of becoming a husband and father one day,” Campbell’s aunt wrote on the GoFundMe page. “His life was filled with purpose, and his heart was filled with love — for his family, his country, and his vision for the future.
