Miguel Navarette, a 15-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically killed on January 26, 2014, in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. when Miguel was standing outside a car parked on 30th Street near Kedvale Avenue. He was with two adults and their children when an SUV approached. Martin Miranda, 19, who was in the rear seat of the SUV, lowered the window and shouted a gang slogan, "2-6," associated with the 2-6 street gang.
Miguel responded with "What?" which prompted Miranda to open the car door and shoot Miguel with a sawed-off shotgun. After Miguel fell to the ground, Miranda shot him twice more, resulting in his death at the scene at 5:24 p.m. Miguel lived in the 2800 block of South Karlov Avenue.
Following the shooting, the SUV fled the scene, hitting a woman who was subsequently taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment. The police investigation led to the arrest of Martin Miranda and Andres Guerra, both 19, who were charged with first-degree murder. Miranda was identified as the shooter, and Guerra was the driver of the SUV. Witnesses were able to identify Miranda in a lineup, and one of the suspects admitted involvement in the shooting to another person. Miranda was held without bail, while Guerra was held on a $1 million bail.
The case against Miranda and Guerra proceeded through the legal system, with both being charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder. The prosecution argued that the shooting was gang-related, as Miguel was a member of the Two-Six street gang, and the attack was in retaliation for the earlier murder of a friend of the defendants, who was a member of the rival Latin Kings gang. The court admitted gang evidence to establish the motive for the shooting. Miranda was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 75 years in prison. His appeals, which included claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, were rejected, and his conviction and sentence were upheld.
