Ricky LaTwan Platt was 16 when he was shot and killed in Newport News, Virginia, on October 2, 2012. Police responded to shots fired just after midnight at the Heritage Trace Apartments in the Denbigh area and found him in the parking lot next to a dumpster with at least one gunshot wound to his torso; medics pronounced him dead at 12:19 a.m.

A 10th-grade student, Ricky had recently been staying with a family friend before returning to his mother’s home a few feet from where his body was found. Family remembered his sense of humor, love of hip-hop music, and his smile.

If anyone knew Ricky, was in the Denbigh area that night, or has information that could help resolve this case, please contact Newport News police.