Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Twins’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘All Access PD: Grand Rapids’ provides a detailed account of the brutal murder of Eliot Flores in the summer of 2024. When the loud gunshots echoed across the city of Grand Rapids on the fateful night, the entire community was stunned. Meanwhile, grief took over Eliot’s loved ones, who demanded that the perpetrator be brought to justice. The documentary also features the crucial surveillance footage that captured Eliot’s final moments.
Eliot Flores’ Night Out at a Club Ended in an Unexpected Tragedy
Born on August 10, 1992, Eliot Flores filled the hearts of Eliodoro and Lydia Flores with joy upon his arrival in the world. While not much is known about his life, we know that he was lovingly called “Rico” by his friends and family. Like many others, he grew up in a stable household surrounded by the love and care of his parents. He was raised amidst the support of his siblings — Samuel Flores, Ricardo Flores, Carmen L. Albuja, Elionardo Flores, and Daniel Flores — and had a typical upbringing. Eliodoro worked as a Welder for Inland Steel Corporation for years before embracing retirement in 1987.
Eliot shared a close relationship with his father and often hung out with him to go fishing. While Eliodoro and Lydia doted upon their kids, cracks began forming in their relationship over the years. Though they tried their best to make things work out, it simply wasn’t meant to be. Thus, the two went their separate ways. The former gave love another chance when he tied the knot with Doraines Morales and welcomed two more kids into the family — Hector Ramos and Damaris Espinoza. Soon, Eliot developed a strong connection with not only his stepmother but also his stepsiblings. Unfortunately, the family faced a huge loss when the patriarch lost his life on August 18, 2006. Naturally distraught from the loss, Eliot imbibed his father’s teachings as he moved on in life.
Eliot grew up to be a hardworking individual with big dreams for the future. He was adored by many for his caring nature and amiable personality. Therefore, the shocking death of the 31-year-old in mid-2024 left a huge impact on his family and friends. Around 1 am on June 2, 2024, Eliot exited the Tin Can bar with a friend named Jashaun Morgan, both of whom found themselves in the midst of a shootout that took place at the parking lot in the 200 block of Cesar East Chavez Avenue Southwest, near Cherry Street, in Grand Rapids. As the police arrived at the site, Eliot was declared dead due to fatal gunshot wounds, while his friend was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Upon inspecting the parking lot for clues, they recovered three firearms, including two handguns and likely a rifle.
Eliot Flores and His Friend Were Caught in the Crossfire
As the investigation progressed, the police identified two other individuals involved in the shooting — the twin brothers, Xavier and Ezekiel Ramos. The latter was also shot in the leg during the shootout and was driven to the hospital by his uninjured brother before driving away. Once all the individuals were identified, the police announced, “The investigation is preliminary in nature, but we’re confident that we’ve identified everyone involved. And now, it’s just a matter of piecing together the story of how these three individuals came to be together, if there was other people involved or not. We’re still working on that. But, we think that all shooters have been identified.”
Upon digging deeper, they learned that all four individuals, including Eliot Flores, Jashaun Morgan, and the Ramos brothers, knew each other. Thus, the case of robbery or violence against strangers was ruled out by the police. In order to get to the bottom of it all, the investigators watched the surveillance footage of the Tin Can bar and the parking lot where the shooting occurred. As per the police reports, Xavier and Ezekiel Ramos followed Eliot and his friend, Jashaun, out of the Tin Can bar into the parking lot. Not long after, an altercation broke out that led to a fatal shootout. The authorities conclude that the Ramos brothers shot Jashaun, who fired back at them, injuring Ezekiel’s leg.
While Ezekiel is a Free Man, Xavier Ramos is Currently Awaiting Trial
The police documents stated that during the shootout, “Flores immediately drops down behind a concrete light to seek cover. Flores appears to be shot at as he is seeking cover behind the light post by Xavier. Flores then gets up and runs from Xavier, and Xavier appears to shoot him 3 times in the back.” At the time of the gunfire, Eliot was reportedly unarmed and was running away from the perpetrator, who killed him anyway. According to authorities, Jashaun and the Ramos brothers had concealed pistol licenses, which meant that it was not a violation for Xavier to flee the shooting scene without reporting it. When Xavier was brought in for questioning, he claimed that Eliot was reaching for the gun, and that’s why he shot him down.
Xavier alleged that if Eliot had been able to get access to the weapon, he would have killed him and his brother. However, the surveillance footage told a different story. After obtaining an arrest warrant for the 25-year-old, the police tracked him down to a property on the southern edge of Grand Rapids, where he was arrested without any incident on August 2, 2024, and charged with open murder for Eliot Flores’ death. Since Jashaun’s killing was ruled self-defense, Xavier was not charged with his death. As for Ezekiel Ramos, he was not charged with the crime at all. Xavier Reyes Ramos pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has decided to take his chances in court. As of now, he is reportedly held in the Kent County jail without bond and is awaiting trial. If found guilty and convicted of the crimes he is charged with, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
