Late morning on December 16, 2021, gunfire erupted inside a restaurant on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City. Sixteen-year-old Pedro Junior Rodriguez, a Snyder High School student known as Pedrito, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene around 11:45 a.m. The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner was ruled a homicide.

Family described Pedrito as an inquisitive, caring teen who wanted to own his own business, enjoyed lifting weights, playing video games, and favored dressing well. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and Jersey City Police investigated and identified two teenage suspects. A 17-year-old surrendered on December 27, 2021, and a 16-year-old was arrested on March 23, 2022; both were charged with murder and weapons offenses.

Both suspects were later named as Juan Crawford, 17, and Leo Barker, 16, and prosecutors announced plans to try them as adults. Does anyone have information about Pedro’s life, the restaurant, or the day of the shooting that could help investigators?