A 15-year-old Utah girl, Chanelle Alvarez, was shot and killed in her bedroom early Saturday morning, allegedly by her 16-year-old boyfriend, Hezekiah Plummer, who now faces a first-degree murder charge as an adult.
Police say the shooting happened around 3 a.m. at Alvarez’s home in Ogden. A family member awoke to the sound of a gunshot and found the teenager fatally wounded. According to court records cited by KSL and Fox 13, Plummer allegedly shot Alvarez in the head at close range before fleeing the scene.
As he escaped, Plummer reportedly told a relative that there had been a “robbery,” mentioning another name to deflect blame. Authorities later arrested him in a neighboring county, where he was found carrying over $4,000 in cash and several ounces of marijuana. Police believe he disposed of the firearm before being taken into custody.
Investigators say Plummer frequently stayed at Alvarez’s home and had arrived there around 1 a.m. on the night of the shooting. He now faces charges of first-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and firearm theft, and prosecutors have confirmed he will be tried as an adult.
A GoFundMe campaign set up by Alvarez’s family described the teenager as having a “beautiful and feisty spirit” with a “contagious laugh.” Her loved ones said her death was the result of domestic violence, writing, “It’s something no child, no family, should ever have to endure.”
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Alvarez was an active member of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Ogden, where she attended summer camps. Pastor Jeff Stephenson remembered her as “a spectacular young woman — full of life, always smiling, caring, and curious.”
Authorities continue to investigate the case, while the community mourns the loss of a young life cut tragically short.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org for confidential, 24/7 support.
