Friends and family of Tara Romero will celebrate the late Morgan Hill teen’s 16th birthday Friday at the Coyote Grange Hall, nearly 15 months after she was killed in a drive-by shooting in Morgan Hill.
The monthly youth event known as “The King’s Lounge” will feature guest MC Jeff Turner and special performances by a variety of acts. The event will start at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The Coyote Grange Hall is located at 8140 Monterey Road in San Jose.
Romero was shot to death Nov. 4, 2011, at the age of 14. She and a group of friends were waiting for a ride home from a birthday party near the corner of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues when a car full of alleged gang members drove by the corner and opened fire on the crowd, according to police.
Romero and three of her friends – all Sobrato High School students at the time – were shot. Romero was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.
Police arrested the five shooting suspects shortly after they fled the scene, and they are next scheduled to appear at the San Jose Hall of Justice Feb. 11 on charges of murder and attempted murder.
Romero’s birthday is Saturday, Feb. 2, but her mother Annette Nevarez said the teen’s friends and family wanted to coordinate the celebration with the King’s Lounge teen event, which is a monthly youth spiritual gathering that meets the first Friday of every month.
