Rodrigo Emiliano Martinez was 12 when he was shot and killed at Fig/Oleander Park in Compton, California, on May 9, 2025. The shooting happened around 4 p.m.; he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead shortly after. Martinez was a Davis Middle School student and an avid soccer player; his family and community have been left devastated.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department opened a homicide investigation and pursued a suspect described as a 17-year-old male. The teenager initially eluded officers but was arrested two days later; his identity has not been released because he is a minor. Neighbors have speculated about possible gang involvement, but Martinez’s family says he had no gang ties and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The park was photographed cordoned off while investigators collected evidence.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the LA County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers; did anyone at Fig/Oleander Park that afternoon see anything that could help?