In the early morning hours of January 27, 2024, 20-year-old Martín Eduardo Martinez-Ramirez of Grand Rapids was found dead inside his vehicle in a parking lot in the 5900 block of Wing Avenue in Kentwood, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the Kentwood Police Department opened an investigation into the shooting.

Known to family and friends as Marty, Lalo, Lalito, and Nene, Martinez-Ramirez was studying automotive mechanics at Grand Rapids Community College and hoped to one day own his own business. Loved ones remembered him as kind and selfless, devoted to family and faith, who enjoyed working out, reading the Bible, and cooking for those close to him.

The family has organized fundraisers, placed a billboard with his picture, and—working with Silent Observer—offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. If anyone has information about what happened that night, please contact the Kentwood Police Department or Silent Observer.