Gabriel Rosario Cortez, a 17-year-old Hispanic teenager from Orlando, Florida, was remembered by friends and coworkers for his beautiful smile, his laugh, and his funny jokes. The former Lake Howell High School student worked at a local Papa John's, where his colleagues missed him deeply after his death.
On the night of December 12, 2024, at approximately 10:30 p.m., deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting in the 10100 block of Chesham Drive.
When they arrived, they found Gabriel deceased from multiple gunshot wounds.
A homicide investigation was launched, and detectives soon identified two brothers as suspects: 18-year-old Marcus Anttwain Anderson Jr. and 16-year-old Naki Lamar Anderson. Investigators determined that the brothers had arranged to meet Gabriel to purchase marijuana, but their actual plan was to rob him. The encounter escalated into violence, and an exchange of gunfire followed. According to court records, a scuffle broke out between Gabriel and the younger brother, which led to Marcus Anderson pulling out a gun. Gabriel responded by drawing his own weapon and firing, wounding Marcus in the neck. Marcus Anderson then shot Gabriel multiple times, killing him.
Six days later, on December 18, 2024, both Marcus and Naki Anderson were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Marcus was charged as an adult and booked into the Orange County Jail, where he was held without bond. His younger brother’s case was processed through the juvenile court system.
On March 3, 2026, Marcus Anderson, then 19, accepted a plea deal. He pleaded no contest to a downgraded charge of second-degree murder. In exchange, he was sentenced as a "youthful offender" to four years in state prison, which will be followed by two years of probation. The agreement also required him to complete community service and write a letter of apology. The case was updated with this sentencing in March 2026.
