Craig Jones, the 37-year-old South Hadley man accused of gunning down Chicopee youth basketball coach Ricky Arroyo outside a Holyoke youth club, pleaded not guilty the previous week to first-degree murder and three firearm charges, while hundreds of mourners gathered at a Chicopee park to remember the 35-year-old coach as a man who mentored young athletes and gave them rides home. Arroyo was fatally shot on Sunday, October 11, and is being remembered by those who knew him as someone who gave freely of his car rides home.
A Community Grieves at Szot Park
Hundreds of people turned out for a candlelight vigil at Szot Park in Chicopee on October 13, according to Daily Voice, with many attendees describing themselves as former players who had once suited up under Arroyo's coaching. Family members and former players recalled how Arroyo personally mentored young athletes, teaching them basketball skills, building their self-esteem, and routinely driving them home after practice, according to Western Mass News. A GoFundMe appeal created by loved ones put it simply: Ricky's children were his world, but his love extended far beyond his own family.
The fundraiser, launched to help support Arroyo's partner and children, had collected $4,625 as of Monday, per the same Daily Voice report. Organizers say the money is meant to cover household bills, daily expenses, and the children's future needs, noting that Arroyo's children lost their father and his partner lost her longtime companion, all while the family now faces grief and financial strain. The appeal asks supporters to return the care Arroyo gave so freely, writing that now it's their turn to show up for his family. A celebration of life has been scheduled for Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home in Holyoke, the fundraiser notes.
Gunfire Outside a Youth Club Mid-Game
The shooting happened directly outside the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke at 70 Nick Cosmos Way, a street formerly known as Bond Street, around 1 p.m. on October 11, according to the Hampden District Attorney's Office. The club was hosting a basketball game at the time. Holyoke police found Arroyo wounded at the scene and responders rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Inside the club, a high school girls' fall league basketball game was underway when the gunfire erupted. The game went into lockdown after someone shouted “active shooter,” forcing children to dive beneath bleachers for cover, according to Daily Voice. Club officials confirmed no participants or staff inside the building were physically injured during the chaos.
Heavy Security as Suspect Faces Judge
Police arrested Jones at the scene, and he was arraigned two days later, on October 13, in Holyoke District Court, facing charges of first-degree murder, carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, the Hampden DA's office said. Jones pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. Eight Massachusetts State Police troopers lined the back of the courtroom while plainclothes Holyoke police officers wearing body armor stood outside during the arraignment, illustrating the heightened security surrounding a case tied so closely to a youth sports facility.
Jones faces a charge of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.
Investigation Continues, Motive Unclear
The murder investigation is being conducted jointly by the Hampden District Attorney's Office State Police Detective Unit and the Holyoke Police Department, with updates released through District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni's office. Jones is scheduled to return to Holyoke District Court on November 13 and remains incarcerated without bail in the meantime.
As public vigils and the GoFundMe campaign demonstrate widespread grief across Chicopee and Holyoke, key questions remain open regarding the motive behind the confrontation and whether Jones and Arroyo had any prior relationship. Hoodline previously reported on the shooting before the victim's identity and the suspect's arrest were officially confirmed by prosecutors.
