On the night of February 3, 2024, 16-year-old Ely Mendez Gomez was shot near Denia Park in Denton, Texas. Emergency responders found him unresponsive in his vehicle around 11:37 p.m.; the car had a visible bullet hole in the window. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Witnesses described a suspect in dark clothing wearing a ski mask. Seventeen-year-old Gabrielle Cortes, who was in the vehicle with Mendez Gomez, said an armed individual approached the car. Detectives later identified 19-year-old Marcus Williams of Sanger as a person of interest; surveillance footage showed he had been following Mendez Gomez’s vehicle that night. Investigators say Williams and Cortes, who were in a romantic relationship, conspired to rob Mendez Gomez.

On February 28, 2024, Williams was arrested and charged with murder; Cortes surrendered the next day and was charged with capital murder. Williams’ charges were later upgraded to capital murder. Williams was held on $500,000 bond and Cortes on $250,000 bond. Family and friends remembered Ely as a young person with aspirations and a promising future.

Did anyone in Denton see the area around Denia Park that night or have information about the vehicle being followed?