Seventeen-year-old Javian Leonel Lopez was killed by a gunshot wound on the night of September 24, 2023. Officers responded just before midnight to an apartment in the 100 block of Lionel Benoit Road in Springfield and found Javian suffering from a gunshot injury. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center, where he later died.

Javian, from Springfield, worked as a Wendy’s crew member, held a CPR certification, played basketball, and was a musician who read and wrote in both English and Spanish. Three people were at the scene when police arrived. Two men — Xavier Rivera, 20, of Ware, and Luis Reyes-Santiago, 18, of Springfield — were arrested and charged with murder and several firearms-related offenses; both were arraigned and held without bail. A third person present was a female whose name and charges have not been disclosed because she is a minor.

If anyone knew Javian or has information about what happened that night, please come forward to assist the ongoing investigation.