KTLA

Families of two men shot, killed at Halloween party in Covina speak out

Two families are mourning the loss of their loved ones after a suspected gunman opened fire on five of their closest friends and family members, killing two of them.  

The shooting happened at a home on the 17000 block of East Bellbrook Street at around 12:30 a.m. Sunday during a Halloween Party.  

The two men who lost their lives were identified as 20-year-old Ronnie Benitez and 33-year-old Vladimir Umana, a close friend of the Benitez family.

Family members said that during the party, an argument broke out.  

Security footage shows one suspect firing a gun by the portable bathrooms, with a victim falling to the ground. That person survived.  

According to the family, the video shows a second gunman by a white truck, reaching down for a gun. They say that’s the person who allegedly killed Benitez.  

“These people that came to our home and did this, they’re waking up every day and they’re going to bed every day and they’re out there and Ronnie is gone,” Rochelle Benitez, the victim’s sister told KTLA. 

The families of Benitez, who was a successful electrician, and Umana, who worked as a salesman for Miller Brewing Company, are pleading with the public to help find the shooters.  

“We want justice for our family. Nothing will make this better. Nothing will bring Ronnie back to us, but our family is not at peace until this person is found,” Benitez’s sister said.  

GoFundMe campaigns for Ronnie Benitez and another for Vladimir Umana have been set up to help with funeral costs for those who wish to donate.