Danny McCarter Jr., 25, died after being shot on the evening of January 27, 2011, on Third Street near a park in Greenfield. He and a friend, Anabel Trujillo, were approached by a male assailant who opened fire; Trujillo was pronounced dead at the scene and McCarter, who sustained a close-range gunshot wound to the head, was taken to a San Jose hospital and removed from life support the next day.

Authorities regarded the double killing as gang-related. McCarter was identified as a longtime member of the Varrio Grinfas Norte, a Norteño gang whose internal tensions had escalated after the December 2010 arrest of a key member, Leo Spanky Garza. City leaders responded to community complaints about policing by ordering an audit of the Greenfield Police Department, and the Monterey County District Attorney’s office assisted the investigation. A sketch of a person of interest was released, but no arrests had been reported.

McCarter’s record included misdemeanor and felony drug cases dating to 2006, a 2009 felony assault complaint, and a March 2010 felony property offense. Family and friends remembered him as well liked who enjoyed sports and time with loved ones. If anyone has information about that night or the person seen near Third Street, please come forward.