On July 17, 2016, a Sunday morning shooting on Safari Drive in Saint Joseph, Missouri, left two men dead: 25-year-old Raymond Gonzales Ortiz and 22-year-old Kevin Villegas-Melendez. Both victims were found inside a van that had been hit with heavy gunfire; investigators recovered about 50 shell casings near the vehicle. There was no evidence either man had been armed or had returned fire, and authorities described the scene as indicative of a targeted, execution-style attack that sent nearby residents fleeing for cover.

Police linked the killings to a turf war between rival groups and identified multiple people allegedly involved. Five defendants were charged in connection with the murders: Luis Omar Robles-Vargas, Raymond Jimenez-Becebi, Omar Martinez Velez, Alexi Martinez-Andino, and Luz A. Figueroa-Castillo. The cases later produced guilty pleas that differed by defendant, including second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

If anyone knew Raymond Gonzales Ortiz or has information about the events on Safari Drive that morning, please share what you know.