In the quiet early hours of August 9, 2017, the life of Gabriel George Valenzuela, a 25-year-old Hispanic male and aspiring nurse, was tragically cut short in a burst of violence. The young man was in the driveway of his Las Vegas home on West Dewey Drive when he was fatally shot multiple times. Inside the house, his family heard the gunshots, tragically unaware of the events unfolding just outside their door.
Valenzuela, a student at the College of Southern Nevada, was the victim of a confrontation with a group of young men.
The investigation into the senseless killing led police to four individuals. In February 2020, two men, 23-year-old Raekwon Robertson and 24-year-old Davontae Wheeler, were convicted for their roles in the crime. A jury found Robertson guilty of first-degree murder, attempted robbery, and conspiracy. Wheeler was found guilty of second-degree murder and conspiracy charges but was acquitted of attempted robbery.
Two other people were charged in connection with Valenzuela's death. One, Demario Lofton-Robinson, was still awaiting his trial at the time of Robertson and Wheeler's conviction. His younger brother, who was only 14 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty for his involvement and testified during the trial of the other two men.
During his trial, Wheeler maintained his innocence, claiming he was at his sister's house when the shooting occurred. He admitted to knowing Lofton-Robinson and had arranged to meet him to purchase a gun, a meeting he claimed to have left because he felt he was going to be robbed. Prosecutors acknowledged that Wheeler's gun was not the one used in the killing. The case painted a grim picture of a young life with a promising future in nursing, ended abruptly by a violent encounter.
