Justin Martin DeLaRosa, a 28-year-old Native American male from the Burns Paiute tribe, was shot and killed on November 10, 2012, in Salem, Oregon. The shooting occurred around 2 a.m. outside Shooter's Café & Saloon on Silverton Road NE. Law enforcement responded quickly to reports of gunfire and found the 28-year-old Native American male victim near the front entrance of the bar, suffering from fatal gunshot wounds.
At the time, investigators described the crime scene as chaotic and
stated that multiple individuals were present at the bar when the incident occurred. Witnesses reported a disturbance just before the gunshots, and law enforcement began searching for a suspect vehicle—reportedly a white Ford Mustang convertible—that may have fled the scene. Surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts were reviewed as part of the investigation.
Initially, no arrests were made, and police did not publicly identify any suspects. The investigation continued quietly for some time, with family and community members pushing for answers in the death of the 28-year-old Native American male. DeLaRosa was remembered by loved ones as a devoted father, son, and brother, and was laid to rest following services held on the Burns Paiute Reservation.
According to information reported in the Statesman Journal, Ricardo Leyva Jr., a resident of Salem, Oregon, was eventually arrested in connection with the killing of the 28-year-old Native American male. He was charged and convicted for the murder and reportedly served a 10-year prison sentence. While this development has not been widely covered in currently accessible public news archives or court records, it is presented here as part of the overall narrative provided.
The killing of Justin DeLaRosa marked a tragic loss for his family and community. The resolution of the case—following the arrest and imprisonment of Ricardo Leyva Jr.—brought a measure of closure, though no amount of justice could undo the loss of a young Native American man whose life was taken in a sudden act of violence.
