On the evening of November 2, 2019, 18-year-old Javier R. Ayers, a Black / African American male, was shot in an alley near Copeland Park in the 900 block of Copeland Avenue in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Police found Ayers at about 9:40 pm; he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital but died of a gunshot wound to the heart.

Security footage and witness statements tied the shooting to Shavonte Thompson, who was seen exiting a vehicle, firing a gun, and leaving the scene. The shooting was reportedly connected to a feud involving Thompson’s cousin, Monica Thompson. Odell Thompson was in the car that night and later said he did not see the shooting but knew his cousin had left the vehicle when shots were fired; he later reached a deal to avoid trial.

Few public details are available about the hours leading up to the shooting or about Ayers’s life beyond his age and race. Does anyone have information about Javier’s activities that night or about witnesses who saw the vehicle in the area?