On the night of July 29, 2017, 17-year-old Jose Ricardo Morales was shot and killed near the southwest corner of Southeast 187th Avenue and Southeast Stark Street in Gresham, Oregon. Officers found Morales at about 10:30 p.m.; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrested four people nearby shortly after the shooting: 15-year-old Obed Garcia of Wood Village, 20-year-old Isai Guzman-Ramirez of Portland, and brothers 16-year-old Francisco Martinez-Chavez and 17-year-old Cristian Martinez-Chavez of Troutdale. Court documents say the group retrieved a .22 caliber rifle from Guzman-Ramirez’s home, then drove in a white Chrysler Sebring searching for Morales. After locating him, Garcia slowed the car and Cristian Martinez-Chavez allegedly fired a single shot that killed Morales. Investigators explored whether the killing was gang-related; Guzman-Ramirez reportedly told officers he was a member of the Sureños.

Family and friends held a vigil at the scene; Morales’s mother, Celia Santiago, said he worked at a local arcade and had been saving money, and described his goal as wanting to be happy and have a home. All four defendants pleaded not guilty at their initial court appearance.

If anyone saw Jose Morales that night or has information about the shooting, please share what is known.