Ruben Zarate Luis, 26, was fatally shot in Santa Maria, California, on June 26, 2021. Officers found him about 11:30 p.m. near the intersection of Lincoln and Mill streets, lying on the sidewalk with severe gunshot wounds; he was airlifted to a hospital and died the next afternoon.

The Santa Maria Police Department opened an investigation but has not announced any arrests or identified suspects, and the motive remains unclear. The shooting occurred in the same area where another fatal shooting happened a little over a month earlier; authorities have said there is no indication the two incidents are related.

Anyone with information about Ruben’s death or the circumstances that night is asked to contact the Santa Maria Police Department.