On August 4, 2023, at about 10 a.m., 23-year-old Van Michael Raider Turner was shot near the 800 block of McKenzie Avenue in Watsonville, California, and later pronounced dead at the scene. Officers responded after multiple 911 calls for gunshots and found Turner on a sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds. He was a Watsonville resident active in the local rap scene and a former Pajaro Valley High School athlete, remembered by family and friends for his artistic talents and contagious smile.

A 17-year-old turned himself in to the Watsonville Police Department on August 16, 2023, and was booked into Juvenile Hall on murder charges; the juvenile’s name has not been released. The community held fundraising efforts for Turner’s family, including a car wash and a GoFundMe, and a memorial altar was placed at the shooting site. The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting remains ongoing.

If anyone knew Turner or has information about what happened that morning, please share what you know.