Jose Manuel Melendez was 21 when he was shot and killed at a house party in West Covina on August 12, 2016. Police were called for shots fired at about 10:15 p.m.; officers found Melendez in the backyard with gunshot wounds to his chest and back. Paramedics attempted resuscitation but he was pronounced dead at the scene around 11 p.m. Another partygoer was also struck, treated at a hospital, and later released.

Authorities said motive is unclear and that neither Melendez nor the other victim had known gang affiliations. The shooter or shooters were not immediately identified, no arrests had been announced, and the investigation remained open. Melendez, a La Habra resident and former Sonora High School soccer player, hoped to become an EMT and was remembered by family and friends as kind and caring; a GoFundMe was set up to help his family with funeral expenses.

Does anyone who attended the party or lived nearby that night have information that could help investigators?