Lavontay Allen was 15 and a sophomore at Auburn High School when he was shot and killed on December 27, 2016, in Rockford, Illinois. He was a backseat passenger in a car driven by his mother, Jaton Watts, near South Central Avenue and Preston Street when another vehicle pursued them and opened fire. Lavontay was struck and pronounced dead at the hospital; Watts sustained a leg injury but survived.

Two men were tried in connection with the shooting. Latravius Stringer, nicknamed two pistols, was identified by Watts as the shooter but was acquitted of murder after the jury’s brief deliberation. Anthony Simms, alleged to have been in the car during the shooting, was acquitted of murder in June 2017. Lavontay’s death was the 26th homicide in Rockford in 2016; a candlelight vigil of more than 100 people honored his memory.

If anyone knew Lavontay, his family, or saw the events that night, please share information that could shed light on what happened.