Yael Edu Esparza was 19 when he was shot and killed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on the evening of Sunday, October 2, 2022. At about 9:18 PM he was driving in the 300 block of West Wildwood Avenue, near South Wayne Elementary, when an assailant fired numerous rounds into his vehicle. First responders found him with multiple gunshot wounds and he was taken to Lutheran Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The Allen County Coroner’s Office ruled the manner of death a homicide, with multiple gunshot wounds listed as the cause.

Investigators moved quickly after the shooting. A 16-year-old male was arrested on West Leith Street a short time later and charged with Esparza’s murder; the court was scheduled to consider whether the juvenile should be waived into adult court. The Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office continued investigating the circumstances of the killing.

If anyone knew Yael, saw activity in the West Wildwood Avenue area that night, or has information about the shooting, please come forward to investigators.