On the afternoon of Friday, June 21, 2024, Ray Bernal Jr., a 22-year-old Hispanic man, was killed in Tucson, Arizona. Around 2:15 p.m., police responded to reports of an assault near the intersection of South 13th Avenue and West Drexel Road. When they arrived, officers found Mr. Bernal with obvious signs of trauma. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives who took over the case learned that Mr. Bernal had been approached by two men.
An encounter between them escalated into a physical altercation. At some point during the assault, a gunshot was fired, and Mr. Bernal was fatally struck.
Detectives from the Robbery/Aggravated Assault Unit were in the area for an unrelated call and assisted until the Homicide Unit arrived to continue the investigation. Through witness interviews and evidence gathered at the scene, investigators quickly identified one of the suspects as 35-year-old Daniel Gonzales. Police obtained a search warrant for his residence, located less than a mile from where Mr. Bernal was found. With the help of a SWAT team, officers arrested Gonzales at his home. He was booked into the Pima County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
As the investigation continued, detectives used witness statements and forensic evidence to identify the second suspect as 46-year-old Gabriel Duran. An arrest warrant was issued for Duran on June 28 on a charge of first-degree murder. On July 2, 2024, authorities located and arrested Duran. He was also booked into the Pima County Jail on one count of first-degree murder.
As of July 2024, two suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Ray Bernal Jr., and the case is proceeding through the justice system.
