On June 27, 2023, at about 11:04 a.m., 35-year-old Cedric DeShawn Cruz was shot in front of a residence on the 3200 block of 40th Street in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood and died at a hospital shortly after being transported, pronounced at 11:37 a.m. Witnesses heard multiple gunshots and a bystander performed CPR before emergency responders arrived.

Witnesses described the shooter as a youthful-appearing Black male, possibly 15 to 17 years old, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt who fled on foot. Detectives later identified 20-year-old Michael Hall as the primary suspect; an arrest warrant was issued and Hall was arrested on June 30, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, with efforts made to extradite him to San Diego. The relationship between Cruz and Hall remains unclear, though investigators say there may have been some connection.

Cedric Cruz was born May 15, 1988, in San Diego and is survived by his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews who recall his vibrant personality and commitment to family. Does anyone have information about Cruz, his movements that morning, or the events leading up to the shooting?