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The story of four boys, one wrongful accusation, and a cycle of violence that outlasted every attempt to stop it.

Credit: Photo taken by Genesis Manyari

Building Bridges of Solidarity: Breaking Down Barriers. Part of a 117-foot-long mural on 24th and Capp Streets, executed in 1997 by Eric Norberg and Mike Ramos for Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth (HOMEY).

It was still hot outside when Luis Alberto Quiñonez—whom everyone called Sito—reached Grant Avenue, in San Francisco’s Chinatown, around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 8, 2019. His girlfriend Arianna’s mother had been evicted that day, and Sito had spent several hours helping her move.

Leaving her new apartment, Sito had just put his blinkers on to make a right turn on Brunswick when he saw a light flash on his dashboard. “Oh, man!” he said to Arianna. “I need to get some air.”

Sito pulled over by a fence on a street of small houses.…