A Sunday afternoon outing to buy a new puppy for his family turned into an unimaginable tragedy for Jose Martinez, a 31-year-old father of three. On November 8, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois, Jose was shot and killed in a sudden and senseless act of violence that unfolded in front of his young children. The family was in their vehicle in the 5400 block of South Homan Avenue when another car pulled alongside them.
The driver allegedly flashed a gang sign before circling around and opening fire, killing Jose. His children, who were between the ages of 3 and 9 at the time, were physically unharmed but witnessed the horrific event.
The killing of Jose Martinez was not an isolated incident. His death was one of a series of seemingly random shootings that terrorized Chicago's Southwest Side neighborhoods, including Gage Park and Brighton Park, throughout 2020. Between March and November of that year, a total of six people were killed in what authorities would later describe as the work of a serial killer. The victims, ranging in age from 16 to 31, appeared to have no connection to their attacker or to each other. They were simply going about their daily lives—walking home from a gas station, sitting in a parked car, or, in Jose's case, creating a happy memory with his children.
A lengthy and tireless investigation by Chicago police detectives eventually connected the string of murders. The break in the case came after the alleged killer's arrest for one of the shootings, which allowed investigators to link him to the other homicides. Ballistics evidence from a.40 caliber handgun, surveillance video, and the suspect's own social media activity proved crucial in building the case. In early 2025, authorities announced a significant development: they had charged one individual with all six murders.
The person charged was Antonio Reyes, who was between 16 and 17 years old when the killings occurred. According to prosecutors, Reyes used the street name "Redrum"—murder spelled backward—and appeared to select his victims at random, without any clear motive or prior interaction. Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke stated, "None of these people had ever met Antonio Reyes before, and there's no reason to suspect Antonio Reyes had any reason to target them."
Reyes was arrested in December 2020 for the murder of 26-year-old Luis Davalos Garcia. While in custody at the Cook County Jail, he remained a suspect in the other unsolved shootings. The comprehensive investigation led to Reyes being charged in February 2025 with the murders of Jose Martinez, Francisco Mangana, Claudio Cossio, Damian Duran, and Justin Gonzalez. In addition to the six murder counts, Reyes also faces four counts of attempted murder, three of which stem from the attack on Jose Martinez in front of his children.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling spoke to the shocking nature of the crimes, stating, "It's difficult to comprehend how anyone could easily take someone's life, and especially so many in one year." Reyes, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, is currently awaiting trial. While he remains in custody, the families of his alleged victims, including the children of Jose Martinez, are left to navigate a world irrevocably altered by a series of violent acts that officials say were committed for the thrill of it.
