David Villareal was an 18-year-old Hispanic male from Phoenix who was fatally shot the night of November 5, 2019, near 40th Street and Southern Avenue in south Phoenix. Officers responding just before midnight found him in the street with two gunshot wounds; he was alive when taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Early reports said he had been involved in a fight or argument with at least one other person before the shooting, and police initially had no suspect description or clear motive.

Within a week detectives identified a 16-year-old boy as the suspected shooter and said the argument that ended in Villareal’s death was over money. Ballistics reportedly linked shell casings at the November 5 scene to an October 17 aggravated assault and an October 23 armed robbery; the October robbery victim identified the same teen from Snapchat contact. Investigators located and arrested the youth on November 7 at a local hospital, where he was being treated for a gunshot wound; police said he made statements connecting himself to Villareal’s killing and to multiple robberies. The youth was charged in juvenile court with first-degree murder and armed robbery, and the case is listed as solved based on that arrest.

Online memorials describe Villareal as kind-hearted, funny, loving, and an amazing basketball player who attended Tempe High School. If anyone knew David or has information about the events leading up to his death, please share what can help the investigation.