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Who was Gyovanny Arzuaga? Puerto Rican man shot during Chicago parade in 'hate crime'

Arzuaga and girlfriend shot by group of Black men in Humboldt Park, social media says 'American cities turning into warzones'

A Puerto Rican couple was brutally shot by a group of men after a parade at Chicago's Humboldt Park. Gyovanny Arzuaga was killed, while his girlfriend Yasmin Perez was left in critical condition after the senseless attack on June 19. The duo was at the park celebrating Puerto Rican Day when they were shot. 

The long Juneteenth weekend and week prior have seen a large surge in gun violence. On June 18, Oen Nicholson murdered 3 people including his father in North Bend, Oregon. A day prior, two were dead and two more injured after a shooting in Durham, North Carolina. On June 16, one person was killed in a mass shooting in Baltimore, Maryland. 

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Since June 18, Humboldt Park has seen several cases of gun violence, but so far no other deaths have been reported yet. Arzuaga is the first person to be killed this weekend at the park, with social media furious over the "hate crime". Others have also expressed anger that few media outlets have covered the death of Arzuaga, with the suspects yet to be caught. 

Who was Gyovanny Arzuaga?

According to Arzuaga's Facebook page, the 24-year-old was from Chicago, and currently living in Schaumburg. The page says he was "in a relationship" with Yasmine Nicole, who we can confirm is Yasmin Perez. The couple reportedly shares two children together, and it is unclear if they were married. Further details, including where Arzuaga worked are not yet available. 

At around 9.15 pm, the two were on W Division Street in their car, when the shooting occurred. According to Arzuaga's brother, the Puerto Rican had rear-ended a parked car. That led to a group of men coming out of the car and attacking Arzuaga. They pulled him out of the car and then shot him in the head, hip, and thigh as he lay over Perez to protect her. The group of men then ran away, leaving Arzuaga for dead. 

Arzuaga was taken to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Perez was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was treated for a gunshot wound to the neck. She is reportedly in critical condition. "My heart is destroyed, that was my best friend, my brother," Arzuaga's brother told Fox News. The family has opened a GoFundMe to pay for Arzuaga's funeral costs and Perez's medical bills. At the time of reporting, it has raised $5,500 of its $10,000 target. 

Warning: below tweets contain images/videos that may be unsuitable for some readers

Twitter slams 'racist attack'

Social media was quick to react to the news, denouncing the brutal murder of Arzuaga. "That video in NYC of the man shot and killed in front of two kids and the video from Chicago yesterday of the Puerto Rican couple that was dragged out of their car and shot and in the middle of the street.... speechless. American cities turning into warzones," one person said.

One angry user said, "This is a racist attack. This is what MSM will never talk about because it doesn't fit their narrative. Puerto Rican's (see flag) pulled out of their vehicle and shot by Black attackers. Latino -vs- Black is a common cultural conflict." Another said, "Crickets from the media on this possible hate crime."

One person responded, "I guess blacks just declared war on Puerto Rican’s in the city of Chicago…"

Police are still searching for the suspects, with little known about them. It is unclear if they are Black, or dark-skinned Puerto Ricans, as some have claimed. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is yet to issue a statement on the shootings, which have rocked the city over the violent weekend.