Cintrail L. Williams, 26, was killed in Chicago on December 23, 2012. His death was one of 506 homicides that year, a marked increase from previous years and part of a wider surge in violence across the city.

Authorities and commentators linked the rise in homicides in 2012 to several factors cited at the time: unusually warm early weather that may have increased street activity, and the Chicago Police Department’s disbanding of specialized gang units under Superintendent Garry McCarthy, which reduced targeted interventions in hotspots. Many South and West Side neighborhoods experienced spikes in violent crime, and the city recorded an especially large surge in the first half of the year—March alone saw 53 homicides.

Cintrail Williams’ death is one of many that year highlighting the debate over targeted policing versus broader community-based interventions to curb gun violence. If anyone knew Cintrail or has information about his death, please share what you can with investigators.