Gianni Versace, 50, was shot dead on July 15, 1997, outside his Miami Beach mansion after returning from a morning walk to a nearby newsstand. The shooter was identified as Andrew Cunanan, 27, who by that time had already killed four other men and was a fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. Versace was struck twice at point-blank range.

Cunanan evaded capture for eight days after the killing and was found dead by suicide on a houseboat in Miami on July 23, 1997. Investigators later reported Cunanan had been living in Miami Beach for months and had pawned items taken from earlier victims using his real name and address, details that prompted scrutiny of how such transactions were tracked.

The motive for the murder remains unclear; various theories were discussed but no detailed explanation was left by Cunanan. Versace’s sister Donatella took over as the brand’s creative director, and the mansion, Casa Casuarina, was later turned into a luxury hotel and event venue.