In the late hours of September 6, 2021, the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, was disturbed by an act of violence that claimed the life of 45-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, Luis Fernando Gonzalez-Sandoz. Just before 11:30 p.m., police responded to calls of a shooting on Poplar Street, between Lombard and Chatham streets. Upon arrival, they discovered Gonzalez-Sandoz, a New Haven resident, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Despite the immediate response from emergency services, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The death of Gonzalez-Sandoz marked the 21st homicide in New Haven that year, a statistic that concerned both residents and city officials. In the days following the shooting, family and friends gathered to remember a man they described as a happy person who loved music and dancing. He was a father and a familiar face in the community, working at a local barbershop on Ferry Street. His loved ones chose to celebrate his life by playing music and dancing in his memory at a vigil held on Poplar Street.
The New Haven Police Department’s Investigative Services and Bureau of Identification began an investigation into the fatal shooting. Authorities publicly appealed for any witnesses to come forward and provide information, assuring that callers could remain anonymous. However, despite their efforts and the community's grief, no suspects were publicly identified, and no arrests have been announced in connection with the murder of Luis Fernando Gonzalez-Sandoz. The investigation into his death remains ongoing, one of a number of unsolved homicides in the city that year.
