Police said they believe the shooting was gang-related.
Updates a story published Monday, June 20, at 6:20 a.m.
HOLYOKE – Police believe the shooting that took the life of 26-year-old city resident Oscar Castro outside the Clover Cafe early Sunday was gang-related.
Castro, of 23 Essex St., was outside the cafe, at 104 High St., when he was fatally wounded by a single-gunshot to the head at about 1:30 a.m.
“This was a gang shooting. It appears as though this was La Familia gang,” said Holyoke police Capt. Arthur R. Monfette, adding that he does not believe that Castro was a member of the gang. “I think LaFamilia was out for him.”
Castro’s shooting marks the city’s first homicide of the year. Police have yet to make any arrests.
Police have said they don’t believe that Castro had been a patron of the Clover Cafe at the time of the shooting. A preliminary investigation suggests the victim may have been chased to the corner of High and Lyman streets, the location of the bar, where he was fatally shot.
Those with information on the shooting are asked to call the detective bureau at (413) 322-6900.
Monfette said the Clover Cafe has been the scene of violence a number of time before and that he is compiling reports on past incidents to forward to the License Commission for review.
Last November, a 23-year-old West Springfield man was shot in the chest outside the well-known High Street establishment.
Castro was rushed to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and police reported there was a disturbance when his ambulance arrived there.
“Some hospital security guards got knocked down,“ Holyoke Police Sgt. Richard Stuart said, adding that some of the victim’s supporters were banging on the ambulance door after it arrived at Baystate’s emergency entrance. Springfield police were called to help quell the disturbance, according to Springfield Police Lt. Maurice T. Kearney.