Family says Rochester man slain on his front porch was helping shooting victim

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The man shot and killed on the porch of his home Tuesday night in a drive-by shooting was not the intended target.

Rochester Police say Sayyos Rios, 40, was struck by bullets fired from inside a stolen car near North Union and Weld streets just after 7:30 p.m.

The gunfire also struck a 19-year-old who was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.

Rios’ loved ones tell us what makes their loss so tragic is that they believe he was trying to help a 19-year-old who had been shot in front of his home on the sidewalk. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.

TONIGHT ON @news10nbc

It's been a painful day for the family of 40 year old Sayyos Rios, who was shot and killed on his porch last night. RPD say he was not the intended target in this shootout. His brother tells me he was a survivor, loved his family and looked after them. pic.twitter.com/MaPljRRyrm

— Eriketa Cost (@eriketacost_tv) July 12, 2023

Rios’ brother, Luis Perez, says he was inside his home when the shooting happened. The family lives in the same complex. Perez says he was in a room upstairs when he heard gunshots. He looked out and saw the wounded 19-year-old limping across the street.

That’s when he says his little brother came in the room, all frantic and worried, saying, “Bro got hit! Bro got hit!”

“I went for the door and when I look to the side, he’s on the porch laying down. I saw the bullet hole in his head. I try to pick him up, and the last thing he said was, ‘Bro! help!’ I couldn’t do nothing. I was helpless. I was helpless,” Perez said.

That feeling of helplessness pervades as the family searches for answers.

“He was just literally in front of his house, minding his business, having a drink and enjoying a summer day. That’s it. That’s it. He’s been through so much and for him to go out like this is just ridiculous to me,” Perez said.

He said his brother used to live in New York City, here he endured a challenge that changed his entire life.

“He got attacked up there. They beat him up with hammers, and after that, we had to take care of him. My mom did a lot to take care of him. He learned how to speak again. He learned how to walk,” Perez said.

“He wasn’t involved in none of these gangs, man. he he wasn’t involved with nobody. He was on disability, you know? He was just doing his thing, staying in his lane. With the little that he had, he was helping other people.”

Rios is survived by his family, including a girlfriend, two stepchildren, and a grandchild on the way.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 911.