7-Eleven Stabbing Victim Remembered For Sense of Humor

Kenny "Black" Soto, the 19-year-old JP man who was found mortally wounded Sunday morning at the 7-Eleven, is being remembered by those who knew him for his sense of humor and his big personality.

"He was always making the people around him laugh," said Sam Hannon, 18, who played in the same Regan Youth League baseball program as Soto.

City Councilor Felix Arroyo, a Wachusett Street resident, coached Soto.

"He was hilarious. He was a good kid," said Arroyo, an at-large member of the City Council. "It was very easy for other kids to be friends with him. He was friends with everybody."

Police haven't released any possible motive for the slaying. But the executive director of the Hyde Square Task Force, Claudio Martinez, told the JP Gazette that the word on the street is that Soto had exchanged words with someone at a club or party in Providence and the person had followed him back to JP.

"It's a shame when this kind of thing happens," said Hannon, who is a student at UMass Amherst. "It's a really tough loss. We're really missing him now."

Police told the Boston Globe that Soto's death is the 52nd homicide in the city in 2011. There had been 55 homicides by the same date last year.

Police ask anyone who can help in the investigation to call detectives at 617-343-4470. People can also call an anonymous tip line at 800-494-TIPS or text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). They say any detail, no matter how small, may help in the investigation.