Michael Gonzalez was 17 when he was shot and killed on the evening of February 25, 2020, near 869 W. 41st St. in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner records list the shooting as the cause of death; efforts to save him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an investigation that identified the shooting as likely gang-related. Detectives interviewed witnesses and followed leads as they worked to establish who was responsible. Reports name 23-year-old Jose Luis Acevedo-Jaimes as one of the suspects who was arrested and charged in connection with the case.

Michael’s death left his community mourning and renewed local calls for action against gang violence. If anyone has information about what happened near 869 W. 41st St. that evening, please come forward to help the investigation.