Rafael Vasquez, 51, was shot to death on October 14, 2017, on the 2900 block of East Westmoreland Street in Philadelphia. Responding officers found him unresponsive after reports of gunfire; emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene. The gunshot wounds were to the head and chest. The address where he was found was a place where he had previously lived.

Friends described Vasquez as a really good guy and a sweetheart, and one friend said they had exchanged text messages with him on the night he died with no indication he was in trouble. Police opened a homicide investigation but released few details about motive or suspects, and no arrests had been announced. Anyone with information about what happened that night is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.