On October 25, 2020, around 4:45 p.m., 39-year-old Julius Bell was shot in the head in the parking lot of the Water Works Car Wash on Main Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and did not survive. Friends remembered Bell as a devoted father of four who actively supported his children’s football and cheerleading activities and was reportedly working to gain full custody of one of his daughters.

Police said the shooting followed a fight in the car wash parking lot involving several people. It is unclear whether Bell was a participant in that altercation or an innocent bystander; a close friend said Bell had been trying to mediate and encourage peace when he was shot. Authorities identified multiple suspects in the investigation. A day or so after the shooting, 24-year-old Artur Debarros was sought by police and died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound as they moved in to arrest him; officials identified him as a suspect in Bell’s death. Subsequent arrests included 36-year-old Julio Debarros and 33-year-old Olivio Leverone. A Providence County grand jury later indicted both men on charges that included murder, conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, and various firearms and drug offenses.

If anyone witnessed the shooting at the Water Works Car Wash or has information about the dispute that led to Bell’s death, please share what is known.