Gabriel Hernandez Rangel, a 23-year-old resident of Salinas, California, was killed on May 13, 2017. Shortly before 10:47 p.m. he was visiting relatives when he was confronted in front of a home on Paloma Avenue; the confrontation escalated and he was gunned down by members of a group later identified as the murder squad.

The murder squad is described as a coordinated gang responsible for multiple homicides and shootings across Salinas in 2017, often using multiple vehicles and targeting rivals; investigators tied the group to at least eight homicides and several other shootings that year. Key members named in the investigation included Ryan Meza and Joseph Garcia, who were arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and conspiracy, and seven defendants faced federal racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder charges while others were prosecuted in Monterey County Superior Court.

Gabriel’s death was one of several that prompted intensified law enforcement efforts and community attention to gang violence in Salinas. If anyone knew Gabriel or has information about the events that night, please share what can help the investigation.