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The shooting happened at around 11:35 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28, when Fernando Jimenez, age 40, shot his girlfriend and her two children with an illegally possessed handgun in the Baldwin Place section of Somers during a domestic dispute, according to New York State Police.
One of the children, 15-year-old Michael Raimondi, was killed. His 13-year-old brother, Matthew, and his mother, 38-year-old Christina Raimondi, were critically injured and taken to a hospital.
The dramatic scene played out hours after the shooting, as Jimenez led authorities on a 12-hour manhunt that finally ended at around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in neighboring Putnam County near Peekskill Hollow Road in Putnam Valley.
The manhunt caused all schools in the Putnam Valley Central School District and the town's library to close on Tuesday.
Although Jimenez is now in custody and faces charges of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon, the Raimondi family will still have to deal with the massive loss of Michael, who was a 10th-grade student at Somers High School.
To help them get through this testing time, community members have created a GoFundMe page to collect donations to pay for Matthew and Christina's medical care, funeral costs, therapy, and more.
The fundraiser was created by Nicole Pagliaro, who said the family is facing "profound heartbreak" on the GoFundMe page.
"As Christina fights for her life, she faces the unimaginable reality of having to bury her child. Their road to recovery will be long, arduous, and filled with immense challenges," Pagliaro wrote, adding:
"Christina is a loving, devoted mother who has always put her family above all else. Matthew, her surviving son, is a bright, kind-hearted young soul who brings warmth to everyone around him. Together, they’ve shown remarkable strength and resilience, but they cannot face this alone."
As of Thursday morning, Oct. 31, the effort had already collected nearly $130,000 out of the ultimate goal of $400,000. Those wishing to contribute can do so by clicking here.
"Your generosity, in any amount, will go directly towards their medical care, therapy, funeral arrangements, and the support they need to start healing. Please, let’s come together to show them that they are not alone—that we’re here for them in this fight," Pagliaro wrote.
The shooting brought out an outpouring of support from across Westchester, including from the county's police department. Raimondi had been a member of the department's Cadet program before his death.
"Michael and Matthew both joined the Cadet program earlier this month. Their mom brought them to sign them up," the department wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The department continued, "She told us how excited they were to participate and how they wanted to learn about law enforcement work and careers. Both boys are also known to several of our officers who serve as SROs in Somers schools."
"We join with the Raimondi family and friends in grieving Michael’s death and we stand with the Somers school community in support of Matthew and Christina during this tragic time," the department added in their post.
After his arrest, Jimenez was remanded to the Westchester County Jail without bail. His next scheduled court appearance is late Monday afternoon, Nov. 4.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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