On the afternoon of May 19, 2014, 18-year-old Jonathan Landaverde was found in a backyard on the 600 block of South Park Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators from the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Elizabeth Police Department concluded the killing was not random but tied to gang activity. Authorities say Landaverde was allegedly a member of the 18th Street gang and that his murder was an initiation rite for MS-13. Five alleged MS-13 members were charged in the case, including German Lisandro Benites Moreno, identified as a high-ranking member who allegedly ordered the killing, and defendants Carlos Amaya and Luis Alfaro; two juveniles were also charged. Charges include murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and gang criminality.

If anyone knew Landaverde, saw activity in the South Park Street area that afternoon, or has information about the individuals named, please share what can help the investigation.