Jose De Jesus Alatorre-Guzman

Do you know who killed Jose?
Jose De Jesus Alatorre-Guzman was a caring, fun, and lovable 19-year-old Hispanic man with a bright future ahead of him. An athlete who played for the Western High School football team, Jose was just days away from his graduation in May 2016. He had earned a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he planned to study sports medicine, and he was looking forward to a summer internship at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. His family remembered him as a planner and a generous son; just days before his death, on Mother's Day, he treated his entire family to brunch and paid for the meal. His mother, Edith Guzman, recalled him as a good kid who was senselessly murdered.

On the evening of Wednesday, May 11, 2016, Jose was taking a familiar walk to his girlfriend's house in his central Las Vegas neighborhood. At approximately 9:17 p.m., as he walked in the 5100 block of Vermont Avenue, near Minnesota Street and Washington Avenue, a black four-door sedan, possibly a Honda, pulled up alongside him. The unknown male driver engaged Jose in a brief conversation before producing a gun. A single shot was fired, striking Jose in the chest, and the car sped away. Gravely wounded, Jose managed to call 911 himself to report that he had been shot.

When Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers and medical personnel arrived, they found Jose and rushed him to the University Medical Center Trauma Center. He fought for his life for three days before being taken off life support and succumbing to his injuries on May 14, 2016. In their grief, his family made the decision to donate his organs, allowing their son to give the gift of life to others.

The investigation into Jose's murder was launched by the LVMPD Homicide Section. Detectives believe the killing was either a random act of violence or a case of mistaken identity, as they have found no evidence to suggest Jose was targeted. "It's frustrating because you have a 19-year-old kid who by all accounts was a good kid and was senselessly murdered," homicide Lt. Ray Spencer told a local newspaper. The suspect has only been described as an unknown male, and the motive for the shooting remains a mystery. The case has grown cold, but police have not given up.

In the years following the shooting, Jose's family, friends, and community have held vigils and marches, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. At a vigil one year after his death, about 70 people walked the neighborhood streets, holding signs with Jose's senior portrait and offering prayers in English and Spanish. His mother, Edith, has been a constant voice for her son, vowing to "continue to fight" until his killer is found. "I know I need to go through this because I want justice, I want justice for my son," she said at another gathering. Police from the Bolden Area Command have joined the family at these events, expressing their commitment to solving the case. Lt. Spencer noted a personal connection, sharing that he grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same high school as Jose.

As of May 2019, the homicide of Jose Alatorre-Guzman remains unsolved. His family continues to endure the pain of not knowing who took their son's life or why. Investigators for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department are still seeking the crucial tip that could break the case open and bring justice to a family and community that lost a promising young man. Anyone with information regarding this homicide is urged to contact the LVMPD's Homicide Section at 702-828-3521 or by email at [email protected].