On the evening of July 13, 2024, in Eugene, Oregon, 16-year-old Fernando Ismael Aguirre was fatally shot in the 300 block of East 14th Avenue. The male teenager, who had just turned 16 a month prior, was with a group of teens known as the '12th Street Kids' who were denied entry to a party at an apartment on East 14th Avenue.
An argument broke out after the group was turned away by 18-year-old Jayson Blackwell and 19-year-old Athel Morgan, Jr.
During the confrontation, another member of Aguirre's group, 18-year-old Christopher Michael Lekoff, reportedly drew a gun. In response, Blackwell and Morgan also pulled out firearms, and multiple shots were fired as people scattered. Fernando Ismael Aguirre was later found deceased in the parking lot near the driver's side of a parked car. He had been shot in the back and was unarmed.
The Eugene Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit launched a homicide investigation into the incident. Shortly after the shooting, a vehicle was seen leaving the area without its lights on. Police pursued the vehicle and detained a juvenile in the Kinsrow area, although it was not immediately clear if this was connected to the homicide. Warrants have since been issued for the arrests of Jayson Blackwell and Athel Morgan, Jr. on charges of unlawful use of a weapon. Police reports indicate that both Blackwell and Morgan have been avoiding law enforcement since the shooting.
