On the night of August 13, 2022, 28-year-old Dion Ruiz, a Black man and father to an eight-year-old daughter, was fatally shot on West Dedham Street in Boston’s South End. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation at about 10 p.m. and found Ruiz unresponsive with two gunshot wounds; he was taken to Boston Medical Center and pronounced dead. Family described him as loving, with an infectious smile and warm hugs.

Months later, a grand jury returned an indictment and in December 2022 24-year-old Alexander Nunez of New Bedford surrendered to authorities on a charge of second-degree murder. Prosecutors say Nunez had been at a birthday party on West Dedham Street that night, drove to the intersection near the Villa Victoria housing complex, and as Ruiz ran past him allegedly fired five times from a 9mm taken from a fanny pack, striking Ruiz twice in the back. Authorities say Ruiz did not fire his weapon. After arraignment in Suffolk Superior Court, Nunez was ordered held without bail.

Did anyone in the South End witness the moments outside Villa Victoria or have information about that birthday gathering?