Manuel J. Hernandez was 30 when he was killed in Chicago on September 21, 2017. He was found late at night with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene in a neighborhood reported to have high crime rates.

Witnesses heard gunshots and saw a vehicle speed away. Detectives canvassed for surveillance footage and interviewed people in the area. Investigators later identified and arrested a 25-year-old suspect tied to a local gang after an anonymous tip; the suspect denied involvement, but ballistics and DNA evidence were reported to link him to the scene.

That case went to trial, where the jury convicted the defendant of first-degree murder and imposed a sentence of life without parole. The killing prompted calls from the victim’s family and the community for stronger responses to gang and gun violence in the city.