The 34-year-old father of three hadn't yet given his daughter her gift, a report said
A suspect was arrested in Florida this week in the alleged killing of a U.S. Army Veteran of Afghanistan on his daughter’s fourth birthday, Orlando police said.
Joseph Torres, 34, was shot three times, allegedly by Shaun Engram Jr., 25, early Sunday morning while Torres and a friend were walking around downtown Orlando and getting food around 2:30 a.m. ET, according to FOX 35 in Orlando.
Engram reportedly stood in front of Torres and told him he couldn’t pass and Torres was shot after a fight broke out.
"This whole thing popped off in a matter of seconds," Orlando police Detective Teresa Sprague said at a news conference Wednesday, according to WKMG-TV in Orlando.
Orlando police Chief Orlando Rolón decried the uptick in violence.
"A military Veteran and a youth in their prime have been affected by violence this past weekend. Enough is enough," Rolón said during the news conference, according to FOX 35.
Engram is a former Marine, according to WKMG.
Torres’ friend Eric Garcia was appalled to hear the suspect was also a Veteran.
"He was supposed to have honor and respect for just humans’ period, and for that to happen, it’s just unfortunate that another Veteran does that to another Veteran," Garcia said. "You don’t get a pass for killing someone senselessly. That did not have to happen at all."
There was no indication that Torres and Engram knew each other.
Torres had bought his daughter a dress as a birthday present but wasn't able to give it to her before he was killed, WKMG reported.
Torres reportedly had two other children as well.
"He had so much to live for," Garcia said, WKMG reported. "He just wanted to enjoy his life, enjoy his family, his children. He wanted to be there for his kids."
Engram faces a charge of first-degree murder, according to WFTV-TV in Orlando.
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