Police Officer Gabriel Jesus Torres

Gabriel Jesus Torres

Police Officer Gabe Torres was shot and killed while attempting to investigate a series of gunshots heard in the Hedingham neighborhood.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m., Officer Torres hung up the phone with his wife after telling her he was going to locate the area of gunfire that they both heard. He was in his car when a juvenile suspect ambushed him before he could exit his vehicle. Officer Torres was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

The juvenile had gone on a shooting spree throughout his neighborhood, killing his brother and three other people. One person survived their wounds. When the shooter, age 15, was found two miles away, he engaged in a shootout with police, wounding an officer.

The juvenile was apprehended and has been charged as an adult for five accounts of murder and two for attempted murder. His father pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to store a firearm in a manner to protect a juvenile and was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation.

Officer Torres was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Raleigh Police Department for 1- 1/2 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, mother, father, brother, and sister.

In 2024, the Gabe Torres Act was passed, which classifies law enforcement officers en route to work as on duty.