Kelly Eduardo Torrez, 22, was fatally shot during a birthday gathering at a residence on County Road 4136 in Smith County, Tyler, Texas, on June 30, 2024. Witnesses at the party, including Torrez’s sister, said a man later identified as 21-year-old Melvin Orlando Guevara Jr. entered the home armed with a pistol, went directly to Torrez’s room, and gunshots were heard. Deputies from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office arrived around 6:30 p.m.; Torrez was found with multiple gunshot wounds, taken to a local hospital, and pronounced dead on arrival.

Law enforcement received information about the suspect and a vehicle description; Guevara’s vehicle was later located near Highway 31 East and Loop 323. A felony traffic stop at a nearby car wash led to his arrest without incident. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on a murder charge with bond set at $500,000. Torrez was the youngest of four siblings; his sister Alondra Nelu Rosales organized a GoFundMe to help cover funeral and related expenses. If anyone at the gathering or in the neighborhood has information about what led to the shooting, can you come forward to share it?