On June 9, 2021, around 5:30 p.m. in Hartford on Kent Street, ShotSpotter alerted police to gunfire. Officers found evidence of a shooting at the scene but no victims; soon after, two men with gunshot wounds arrived at a local hospital. One was 22-year-old Trelique Jarule Ward of East Hartford, who was admitted in critical condition and died of his injuries the next day, June 10, 2021. The other man, 35-year-old Aubrey Perry, was treated and released in stable condition.

Investigators say the shooting arose from a drug deal that escalated into an exchange of gunfire between Ward and Perry. Private surveillance footage reportedly captured the confrontation and the resulting shootings. After Perry’s recovery, he was taken into custody and charged with murder and criminal possession of a firearm; bond was set at $1.2 million.

Ward was a 2018 graduate of East Hartford High School and a father of three. He was remembered by family and friends for his passion for music and his love for animals. If anyone witnessed the incident or has information about the events on Kent Street that evening, please come forward.