On the evening of May 19, 2024, 35-year-old Lilian Magali Poalacin Perez was sitting in the backseat of a vehicle in a Minneapolis alley on the 2900 block of 18th Avenue South, holding her two-year-old son. Two other children were with them while the children’s father had gone to a nearby home to borrow tools. Shortly after 9 p.m., another car pulled up and a man exited the passenger side of that vehicle and fired multiple shots into the car carrying Poalacin Perez and the children.

Poalacin Perez, a native of Ambato, Ecuador, was struck by multiple gunshots. Her two-year-old son was shot in the face. The children’s father returned to find his wife and son shot; the gunman then allegedly fired at him several times but missed. Despite critical injuries, Poalacin Perez managed to drive her wounded toddler to Children’s Minnesota hospital. She was later taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where she died from her injuries three days later. Her young son was expected to survive.

Investigators used surveillance video and phone tracking to identify a suspect; messages on the suspect’s phone were reported to show attempts to trade guns less than 24 hours after the shooting. The motive for the attack has not been made clear. Does anyone have information about the events that night or about the family’s movements in that area?