Nicodemus Nico Gonzales was 23 when he was shot and killed in the early morning hours of July 31, 2021, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Police were called to a loud party on Chaparro Street about 3:30 a.m. after reports of shots fired; Gonzales was found with at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say a fight broke out at the gathering and that nearly a dozen rounds were fired into a group of people. Police described Gonzales as an innocent bystander who was not involved in the altercation.

Two teenage suspects were taken into custody that same evening: 19-year-old Isaiah James William Taylor and a 17-year-old male whose name was withheld. Both were charged with an open count of murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of shooting at a dwelling; the 17-year-old was charged as an adult and pleaded not guilty. Gonzales was remembered as a devoted father who loved music, basketball, cooking, and helping others.

If anyone at the Chaparro Street party or nearby that night has information about what led to the shooting, please come forward.