David Lopez, a 34-year-old Hispanic man, was shot and killed on January 24, 2021, in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. He was standing behind a retractable steel gate in the backyard of a home on the 2800 block of West 23rd Street when three men approached. One man in a black hooded sweatshirt and red sweatpants struck Lopez in the face after flashing gang signs. A second man, described in a baseball cap, blue jeans and a camouflage coat, produced a black handgun and fired at close range; after Lopez collapsed the shooter fired ten more rounds into his body.

Investigators identified David Chavez, 29, and Xavier Encarnacion, 28, as members of the Satan Disciples who had crossed into Latin Kings territory and confronted Lopez, who was not known to them. Chavez was arrested after a standoff and charged with first-degree murder; Encarnacion was later arrested based on video evidence and other investigative leads. Both men were held without bail as the prosecution described the shooting as gang-related and said the attackers sought to provoke Lopez into admitting gang membership before the violence escalated.

The killing left the Little Village community shaken and highlighted ongoing gang conflicts in the area. If anyone knew David Lopez or witnessed the events behind the home on West 23rd Street that morning, please come forward with information.