On Sunday, November 19, 2023, 19-year-old Jovani Ortiz was shot on Downes Street in the Hill section of New Haven, Connecticut, between Columbus and Congress Avenues. The city’s ShotSpotter system registered gunfire at about 8:20 p.m., and responding officers found Ortiz with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital in critical condition and died there the next day, November 20, 2023, just days before his 20th birthday.

Detectives from the New Haven Major Crimes Unit and the Bureau of Identification processed the scene, recovered ballistic evidence, canvassed for witnesses, and sought surveillance footage. Police reports note a vehicle was seen fleeing the area shortly after the shots. Authorities asked the public to contact detectives or use the department’s anonymous tip line with any information. No suspect or motive has been publicly named, and the investigation remains open.

If anyone has information about that night on Downes Street or saw a vehicle leaving the area, please contact New Haven detectives or submit an anonymous tip.