Elijah A. Lopez was 16 when he was fatally shot on Monday, February 20, 2023, in the Jordan Gardens apartment complex in Niagara Falls, New York. A junior in high school, he had been looking forward to wrestling as a senior and was remembered by loved ones as smart, funny and loyal.

The investigation led to the arrest of 22-year-old Gabriel Behrens of Niagara Falls. Behrens pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree in connection with Elijah’s death; that plea was filed alongside admissions covering other offenses from the same period, including an armed attempted robbery in an alley off Niagara Street and an attempted criminal possession of a weapon charge from June 2022. Behrens was sentenced to 32 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.

If anyone knew Elijah, his routines, or saw something in Jordan Gardens around February 20, 2023, please share what might help clarify what happened.