Julian Diego Zepeda was 18 when he died the day after graduating from Tucson High School. He received his diploma on the evening of May 23, 2019; the next morning, May 24, police responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 5500 block of South Forgeus Avenue. Officers found Julian in the wrecked car with an apparent gunshot wound. Witnesses reported hearing a single shot just before the crash and seeing a man run from the vehicle into the nearby Las Villas De Kino apartment complex. Julian was taken to Banner University Medical Center and died that evening.

A juvenile seen running into the apartment complex was located and initially arrested on an outstanding warrant. Investigators identified one of the individuals involved as a documented gang member, and the Tucson Police Gang Unit joined the case. The suspect was identified as 14-year-old Rene M. Yanez; court documents say a witness saw him run into an upstairs unit where police later arrested him. He was indicted on first-degree murder and later pled guilty to second-degree murder on March 4, 2020.

If anyone knew Julian, saw the crash on South Forgeus Avenue that morning, or has information about what led up to the shooting, please come forward.