At a Nov. 19 fundraising event organized by Joey Romero, Tara Romero’s brother, several musicians performed while volunteers sold raffle tickets for San Jose Sharks tickets, local restaurant gift cards and other prizes. The fundraiser took place at GVA Café, at the intersection of Second Street and Monterey Road in downtown Morgan Hill.
Joey Romero, an artist himself, displayed several of his paintings on the walls of the café.
He said they raised almost $5,000 during the evening, which will all go toward a six-foot bronze sculpture depicting Tara Romero’s likeness. When complete, the sculpture will be placed on the City of Morgan Hill’s Civic Center campus on Peak Avenue.
In December 2015, the city council approved that location for the sculpture to serve as a permanent reminder of the impact of violence, urging youth and other passersby to commit to a peaceful environment.
Fundraising at the Nov. 19 event was bolstered by several large cash donations, including one from GVA Café owner Renee Carrillo.
Tara Romero was a freshman at Sobrato High School when she was gunned down in a drive-by shooting Nov. 4, 2011 at the corner of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues. Five young men drove slowly by the intersection when at least one of the occupants opened fire on Romero and a group of her teen friends, who were standing in the area waiting for a ride home.
Romero was pronounced dead at the scene. Three of her friends—also her classmates at Sobrato High School—were injured by the gunfire.
The occupants of the vehicle were arrested shortly after the shooting; four of them have been to trial on murder and attempted murder charges. Three were convicted earlier this year, and one was found not guilty. The fifth suspect is awaiting trial.
According to police reports and testimony at the trial, the suspects were associated with the Norteno street gang and perpetrated the shooting for gang-related purposes. The victims were not associated with gang activity, and were mistakenly targeted by the shooters, according to trial testimony.
