Nine-year-old Janessa Ramirez of Fresno, California, was killed by a stray bullet on January 18, 2015, while standing in front of a laundromat with her mother. The shot came during a gang-related shootout between rival members; Janessa was struck in the stomach when a single round fired by 22-year-old Brian Cooks traveled about 270 yards before hitting her. The exchange began after a long-standing feud and involved 19-year-old Isaac Stafford firing multiple rounds from a Dodge Challenger while Cooks was on a skateboard and crouched behind a vehicle.

Tips from the community and a $25,000 reward helped identify and arrest both suspects. Both Cooks and Stafford were charged in connection with Janessa’s death; Cooks was initially charged with second-degree murder and later pleaded no contest to a lesser manslaughter charge and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Janessa’s mother, Stacey Gonzales, has spoken about the family’s loss, and the community established a scholarship and painted a mural in her honor.