On December 21, 2018, 42-year-old Joao Alves, known to family as Johnny, was shot in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston after attending a birthday party for his 13-year-old cousin. The shooting occurred shortly after midnight in the area of 198 Blue Hill Ave. near Brookford Street. Alves was taken to a local hospital and died of his injuries; Boston Police opened a death investigation and publicly identified him as the victim on December 28, 2018.

Alves was a father of five, with children then aged seven to 21, and had been working and saving to move from Lawrence back to Boston to gain custody of his two youngest sons. Family described him as a devoted father with a huge heart, a laid back giant who wanted a safer life for his children. A GoFundMe was set up to assist with burial expenses and his visitation was held December 30, 2018, in Brockton.

No arrests or public identifications of suspects have been announced and the case remains unsolved. If anyone knew Joao or has information about the shooting, please share what is known.