Teens Charged in Shooting Death of College Student, 20, at Halloween Party

Cheyenne Farewell (GoFundMe)
Cheyenne Farewell (GoFundMe)

Police say Cheyenne Farewell was hit when the teens shot eight rounds into the garage door of a residence in Lockport on Oct. 17.

A 20-year-old woman was killed at a Halloween party she was attending in New York when police say two teens shot through a closed garage door at a residence. The teens, ages 16 and 17, have now been charged with murder, officials said. Cheyenne Farewell was hit when the teens allegedly shot eight rounds into the garage door of a residence in Lockport on Oct. 17,The Buffalo News reported. She died on the way to the hospital, according to reports. Five other people at the party were also injured.

Farewell was not involved in the dispute that allegedly prompted the shooting, authorities told reporters.

"She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Niagara County District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek said.

The teens were arrested days after the shooting and charged with second degree-murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Jonathan Frey, 21, of Lockport, was also charged with one count of hindering prosecution for allegedly driving the shooters to the crime scene, WGRZ reported.

The teens are being held on $500,000 bail at a youth detention facility. Additional charges were tacked onto their original ones this week.

Both are charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault, five counts of second-degree assault, and one count of first-degree reckless endangerment, among other charges. They have both pleaded not guilty.

Farewell, who was an advocate for mental health, was attending college to become a therapist. Her mother, Rochelle Horner, told WIVB that her life’s work was “reaching out to people that needed help.” She also said her daughter would forgive the suspects.

"I know right now she would not only forgive them. She'd be worried about if they're doing okay, if they're hurting, if they went through something as children that made them turn to this kind of life," she said. 

A GoFundMe was set up to help with the cost of Farewell’s funeral.

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