Marco Mendez, 23, was shot and killed on May 15, 2016, in the South Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. His death came during a spike in violent crime that year, when the city recorded more than 750 homicides and neighborhoods like South Lawndale were hit hard by gang-related activity and territorial conflicts.

The case is presented as part of a wider pattern of gun violence affecting communities with poverty and limited resources, and amid strained law enforcement efforts and questions about the effectiveness of increased police presence. Community calls for intervention programs and better community-police relations were framed as responses to the broader problem that Mendez’s killing exemplified.

If anyone knew Marco, his routines, or has information about the shooting on May 15, 2016, please come forward.