Andrew T. Barth was 21 when he was shot and killed on May 26, 2014, on Rockford’s near east side. The shooting happened around 1:15 p.m. near Hutchins Avenue and Pearl Street after an altercation while Barth was driving a pickup and occupants of a dark-colored minivan were involved. A black male in his 20s exited the minivan and shot Barth in the chest. His truck struck a parked car; he went to a nearby Pearl Street residence for help, collapsed, and was pronounced dead at 2:09 p.m. at SwedishAmerican Hospital. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest.

The response was hampered by a 35-minute delay after a private ambulance under contract with the city was sent to West Pearl Avenue instead of Pearl Street while Rockford Fire Department ambulances were unavailable. Barth’s family said the delay denied him a fair chance, though it cannot be proven whether faster care would have changed the outcome. No arrests have been announced and police say the killing is not believed to be random; motive and full circumstances remain unclear.

Did anyone in the area that afternoon see the minivan or its occupants, or have information that could help identify the shooter?