On July 8, 2023, 23-year-old Princess Ortega was fatally shot outside the Karma after-hours club on South Gessner Road near the Westpark Tollway in Houston. The shooting occurred about 6:50 a.m. after an altercation between two groups leaving the establishment. Reports say 17-year-old Jermaine Torres, who was known to Ortega through family connections, allegedly opened fire, striking Ortega and a 29-year-old man. Ortega was taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital and pronounced dead; the male victim was listed in critical condition at an area hospital.

Torres fled the scene but was arrested by the Houston Police Department’s Crime Suppression Team on July 14, 2023, and charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Family members say Ortega, a mother of three, tried to intervene and de-escalate the fight and was caught in the crossfire. The family has expressed grief and concern about the bond set for Torres, and a fundraiser was started to help Ortega’s children.

Does anyone have additional information about Princess Ortega, the night of the shooting, or the fundraiser for her children?