Seventeen-year-old Jaden Lazarus Perez was found deceased near his home in Converse, Texas, on December 31, 2023. Investigators say the death was the result of a shooting during what had been arranged as a drug transaction that turned into a robbery. Jaden, who had played football at Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, was struck in the face and died at the scene.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar identified 17-year-old John Doerr as the person who fired the fatal shot; the bullet reportedly passed through the head of a 15-year-old accomplice before striking Jaden. The group fled in a stolen SUV, later abandoning the injured 15-year-old at a hospital; that 15-year-old survived and is being treated as a potential suspect. Authorities recovered the stolen vehicle and, after a consented search of the residence where Doerr had stayed, seized the firearm believed to be the murder weapon. Doerr was arrested and charged with murder; Sheriff Salazar said additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.

Jaden is remembered by family and friends for his smile and love of football. Did anyone in Converse or Schertz see or hear anything on December 31, 2023, that could help the investigation?