Julian Chavez was 19 when he went to meet someone to sell vape pens on the evening of October 29, 2022, in the 1100 block of West 5th Avenue in Kennewick, Washington. Family described him as an aspiring barber, artistic, and saving for barber school; they said he was not involved in gangs and was a few days shy of his 20th birthday. Responding to reports of gunfire about 9:15 p.m., police found Julian slumped in the driver’s seat of his car, which had crashed into a parked vehicle; he had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators say he had been communicating with the person who arranged the meeting and that the encounter was a setup for a robbery carried out by two teenagers.

Detectives reported Julian was shot three times from the backseat; surveillance captured muzzle flashes inside the car and a person fleeing from the rear just before the crash. A 14-year-old suspect was arrested on November 2, 2022, on the same block where the shooting occurred, and a second teen was later taken into custody. Evidence reported in the case included DNA inside the car and a .45 caliber handgun linked to the shell casings at the scene.

If anyone knew Julian, his plans, or saw activity on West 5th Avenue that night, please share what was seen.