Pomona Village was struck by tragedy on New Year’s Eve when a shooting incident claimed the lives of two young men, transforming what began as a festive gathering into a scene of horror. Twenty-three-year-old Zion Samuels and twenty-two-year-old Luke Chavarria were fatally shot while socializing with four other friends on the porch of Samuels’ residence just before midnight.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, preliminary investigations indicate that a lone gunman approached the group and discharged multiple rounds before fleeing the scene. The four surviving individuals managed to escape unharmed from the barrage of gunfire. Law enforcement authorities have not yet established a definitive motive for the attack, though the property has previously been subject to multiple police operations related to narcotics activities.
The victims were described as lifelong friends and neighbors who grew up together in the community. Zion Samuels leaves behind a young child, while both families struggle to comprehend the sudden loss. Mark Samuels, Zion’s father, expressed profound grief, stating he consistently ‘gives everything to the Lord’ in coping with the tragedy.
Neidia Guzman, a family friend and former babysitter to Samuels, remembered both young men as positive community members who were actively involved in sports and family life. ‘They were good friends from little boys,’ Guzman recalled. ‘He goes to work, comes home, his kids, loving at home. We feel it, our family feels it because they grew up with me.’
The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to search for the unidentified suspect who escaped the area following the shooting. The house where the incident occurred now bears visible bullet holes, serving as a stark reminder of the violence that disrupted the New Year’s celebration.