On the evening of March 24, 2015, 21-year-old Rachel Aboytes was fatally shot in Denver, Colorado, around 8:40 p.m. near East 16th Avenue and North Valentia Street. Aboytes, an aspiring rap artist known as Baby Smiley, was with another woman when gunfire erupted; Aboytes suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at a nearby hospital, while the other woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The Denver Police Department opened an immediate investigation and suspected the shooting was gang-related, citing the nature of the attack and the area’s history of gang violence. Investigators reported difficulty developing witness testimony and evidence because of a pervasive code of silence and fear of retaliation in the community. No arrests have been publicly announced and the case remains unsolved and under periodic review.

If anyone has information that could help bring Rachel’s killers to justice, please share what you know with the Denver Police Department.