Joshua Aila, 17, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 16, 2026, in East Los Angeles. A senior at Esteban Torres High School who was weeks from graduation, Aila was driving home with his younger brother after getting food when an unknown assailant opened fire near Sixth Street and Fraser Avenue, about a half-mile from his family’s home. He managed to drive a short distance after being struck but then crashed; deputies found him with a gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Homicide investigators say the shooter or shooters fled in a dark-colored SUV, eastbound on 6th Street. No arrests have been announced and authorities have not identified a motive or confirmed any gang connection. Two memorials—one at the shooting site and one outside the family home—were later set up as the community mourned a young man described as a talented, dedicated boxing coach who mentored neighborhood youth.

Does anyone have information about the shooting or the dark-colored SUV seen in the area that night?