In the early morning hours of December 23, 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Medford, New York neighborhood, leaving two men dead. One of the victims was Cristino Gomez II, a 29-year-old male resident of Medford. He and his friend, Joshua Young, also 29, were both fatally shot in front of a home on Falcon Avenue.
The two men were reportedly sitting in separate cars around 1 a.m. in an area known to be a local WiFi hotspot.
Investigators believe Gomez was in his vehicle watching a movie when the shooting occurred. First responders discovered both Gomez and Young with gunshot wounds. They were transported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, where they were pronounced dead.
In the aftermath of the double homicide, Suffolk County police began an investigation into the deaths of the two friends. Family and friends of Gomez were too distraught to speak about his death in the immediate wake of the shooting. The motive for the killings was not immediately clear, and the case has proven difficult for investigators.
To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the murders of Cristino Gomez II and Joshua Young. The Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad's investigation remains ongoing, and they have repeatedly appealed to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case. Authorities have urged anyone with knowledge of the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers, with all calls remaining confidential. The case remains an unsolved and tragic loss for the community, with the perpetrator or perpetrators still at large.
