On the evening of July 2, 2020, gunfire in the Mount Pleasant Avenue area of Roxbury killed 15-year-old Xavier Rodriguez. The shooting occurred around 10 p.m.; neighbors at first thought the sounds were fireworks and later described how close their family had been to the violence. Two other people were wounded in the same incident.

Xavier, also known as Rico, was remembered by his family as a happy, sports‑loving teenager whose relatives said they had tried to keep him out of trouble. The killing came amid a sudden spike in violence across the city, recorded as the third homicide in Boston within a 24‑hour span, a development that prompted public officials to call for an end to the bloodshed.

The Boston Police Department is investigating. No arrests or suspects have been publicly announced; the circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.

If anyone saw or heard anything on Mount Pleasant Avenue that night or has information about Xavier’s death, please share what is known.