MOLINE, Ill. — Moline police continue to investigate a double homicide that claimed the lives of two teenagers earlier this month.
17-year-old Giovanni Flores and 19-year-old Zachary Meincke, both of Moline, were shot and killed in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 5 in the 1800 block of 31st Street. Police are working to gather evidence and identify suspects.
Police Chief Darren Gault released the following statement Thursday regarding the investigation:
The Moline Police Department continues to diligently and relentlessly pursue the investigation into the double homicide of Giovanni Flores and Zachary Meincke. Numerous detectives are working through hundreds of leads including conducting interviews and analyzing video and other digital information. Anyone with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers. It is imperative that we get everyone’s account or story gathered to ensure a complete and thorough investigation.
Police have not released information on any person(s) of interest. They continue to ask the community for any information related to the incident, with the following statement included in a Facebook post Thursday:
"We know many members of our community are impacted by this senseless act of gun violence that has torn a huge hole in the hearts of many of our young, teenaged residents who were dear friends of Mikey and Gio.
We are left to honor their memory by diligently working to bring their killer to justice but we can't do that without your help.
Please honor the lives of Mikey and Gio by providing any information you have."
A memorial was built along Avenue of the Cities in Moline for the victims shortly after the slayings. Moline Police said that the memorial was taken down in collaboration with Flores's and Meincke's families. Mementos and keepsakes were removed before the memorial was cleaned up, the post said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities at (309) 762-9500, use the P3 Tips app or call the Moline Police Department at (309) 524-2140. Police previously said on May 5 that "those with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident will be critical to a swift resolution to this case."
In addition, the department is asking anyone with photo or video evidence to submit it directly to their online community portal. A link to submit evidence directly for this case can be found here, or you can use the QR code below.
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