Jake Castillo was 17 and living in Lakeland, Florida, when he was killed in a drive-by shooting on July 3, 2017. Neighbors initially thought the gunfire was Fourth of July fireworks. Jake had been paralyzed since 2011 after a previous drive-by that also killed his older brother, Juan Castillo.

Police say three Hispanic males in a cream-colored Cadillac drove past Jake’s home several times before one occupant opened fire, striking Jake while he was inside. Authorities described the shooting as part of a larger altercation between rival gangs that began earlier that day at a Lakeland gas station between Dario Trejo and John Moises Lugo. Trejo, who was driving the Cadillac, and passenger Jose Tinoco were wounded when gunfire was exchanged; Trejo later pleaded to manslaughter with a firearm and received an eight-year sentence under a plea agreement. Lugo faced manslaughter charges with a pretrial conference set for September 3, 2019.

The case drew attention to gang violence in the community and the Castillo family’s losses. Does anyone have information about Jake, his family, or the events that day?