José Flores Velazquez, a 24-year-old doctoral student in astrophysics at UC Irvine, was tragically killed on August 14, 2019, in the Florence-Firestone area of South Los Angeles. He had returned to his old neighborhood to visit family and deliver a baby shower gift to his childhood friend, Alfredo Antonio Carrera. The two friends were standing in Carrera's driveway when a dark-colored sedan approached, and someone inside began shooting. Flores Velazquez was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene, while Carrera was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead shortly after. The cause of death for both men was listed as gunshot wounds to the torso.
The investigation revealed that the suspects were in a blue 2004 Nissan Maxima with significant body damage. Witnesses reported seeing at least two people in the sedan and hearing yelling before the shooting. Surveillance video and witness accounts helped identify the vehicle, leading to the arrest of Jonathan Charles Johnson, a 27-year-old man from Lancaster, two days after the incident. Johnson was suspected of being the driver of the vehicle involved in the shooting.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, as both Flores Velazquez and Carrera were not involved in gangs or drugs. Flores Velazquez was considered a rising star in the field of astrophysics, and his death was a significant loss to the academic community. Carrera was preparing to become a first-time father, adding to the tragedy of the event. The case garnered significant attention due to the promising futures of both victims and the senseless nature of their deaths.
