On the night of August 13, 2022, Dennis Santos, 51, was shot and killed in the parking lot of his business, the Salsa Tropical Social Club, on Watertown Avenue in Waterbury, Connecticut. A dispute that began inside the club over a man’s reaction to seeing a former girlfriend reportedly moved outside; Santos, who had been trying to intervene and de-escalate the situation, was struck when multiple gunshots were fired into the crowd. He was taken to Waterbury Hospital and died just before midnight. No one else was reported hurt.

Waterbury police arrested 44-year-old Ramon Rodriguez shortly after he fled the scene and recovered a loaded firearm in his possession. Rodriguez was charged with murder, reckless endangerment and several weapons offenses and was held on $2 million bond. Santos, born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, had lived in Waterbury for 36 years and ran the club; he is survived by two children and was remembered as a central figure in the local salsa community.

Did anyone who knew Santos or who was at the club that night see details about how the confrontation began or who fired the shots?