Valentin Cruz, 20, was killed in a daytime shooting in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on the afternoon of May 23, 2018. Cruz and two friends arrived in a van on Hewes Street near South Third Street and confronted two other young men from the neighborhood, 21-year-old Bruce Arroyo and 19-year-old Jason Ortiz. The confrontation escalated into violence. Arroyo allegedly struck Cruz with a baseball bat; Cruz then reportedly fired, wounding Arroyo in the chest and Ortiz in the back.

Ortiz, despite his wounds, returned fire and struck Cruz multiple times in the head and chest. Cruz was taken to Woodhull Medical Center and pronounced dead. At least ten shell casings were recovered at the scene, and police said the incident was believed to be gang-related. Charges were reported pending against Arroyo and Ortiz; the driver of Cruz’s van remained at large.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or knew the people involved, can you share information that might help the investigation?