Freddy Martinez was 17 when he was killed in Chicago on April 2, 2007. His death is described as one of many young-victim homicides that contributed to a wider surge of violent crime in the city in the late 2000s.

The account places his killing in the context of rising gun violence that disproportionately affected youth in neighborhoods facing social and economic challenges. Reports link many of those murders to disputes involving gangs or other conflicts where guns were present, and note that police and community efforts at the time — including targeted policing and outreach — were unable to prevent tragedies like Freddy’s.

If anyone knew Freddy, his neighborhood, or has information about the circumstances of his death, please share what you remember with investigators handling homicides in Chicago.