PHOENIX - For Desiree Rivas, the track surrounding the football field was a sanctuary that amplified game day. The white noise dissipated as passion fueled purpose; cheerleading was the 17-year-old’s love.
Desiree Rivas
What we know:
At Cesar Chavez High School, Desiree was a budding star.
"She wanted to be a cheerleader for as long as I can remember. Every dance movie, I think I've seen them three or four times, from Stomp the Yard to all the other ones I can't remember. But yeah, she started out at an early age at Pop Warner … and when she got older, that's what she stuck with," said Danny Rivas, Desiree’s father.
Danny Rivas
By May 2023, the junior was considered a potential captain for her senior year.
"I don't think I've had many cheerleaders with as much love for cheer as Desi. There have been a few here and there, but she was somebody who really kind of lived and breathed it," said Charlene Cunningham, Desiree’s cheerleading coach from 2014 to 2024. "You might have thought that she was trying out in front of a crowd of a million people instead of just three judges."
Charlene Cunningham
Loved ones said Desiree held the title of "first" in the family: first daughter, first granddaughter and first niece.
Her bedroom is now a shrine to her senior year and her hopes for college.
"When she was getting older and wanting to go to college, I was just like, ‘Alright, that's the next step.’ But then after that day, just you lose all that. I think what's hurt the most," Danny said.
That day left her forever 17.
Teenage girl killed while leaving Phoenix graduation party; $12K reward offered for arrest
On June 1, Desiree's family came forward to share her story and hopefully find some answers.
The backstory:
It was Mother’s Day weekend when Desiree asked her father to make an exception so she could attend a house party.
"She's Desiree. So, I mean, I didn't worry, because it's her. But then I was worried about the environment. Like, it's a house party, there's kids. I don't know what's going to happen. So that's why I was hesitant to let her go. But she's like, ‘Dad, trust me, it's me.’ So, I let her go, and I just gave her a curfew at 12. I was like, ‘Leave at 12, please. If any time sooner, just leave at 12.’ And then she went to the party," Danny said.
Desiree never made it home. Ten minutes after midnight on May 14, 2023, word spread that the party near 91st Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road in Tolleson had turned into a crime scene.
Vanessa Gonzalez
"I was home a little after midnight, get a call from one of her friends, and just, the voice of her telling me that Desi's been shot," said Vanessa Gonzalez, Desiree’s mother.
Danny and Vanessa rushed to the scene, facing chaos and a large police perimeter. Danny waited until 6 a.m. for confirmation from a detective.
"Because the coroner still hadn't picked her up, and I'm like, ‘Why is she still there? Why is she there?’ I kept talking to the cop, and then by 6 a.m. the detective came over to me, and he was like, ‘Sorry to inform you, yes, it is Desiree, we pulled her identification, and she's passed away.’ And that's when I found out she was really gone," Danny said.
Dig deeper:
Phoenix Police Sgt. Brian Bower said Desiree was actually trying to leave the party when she was shot.
"She and her friends noticed that there was commotion at the party, they felt like something was going to happen, so they were on their way out," Bower explained.
"She was the only one that got shot. And she was dead on the scene," Vanessa said.
More than two years later, no suspects have been identified. Investigators believe that among the estimated 150 people present, someone has the answer.
"There was a lot of witnesses in this particular case that were at this graduation party when the shooting took place. So, there's a lot of folks that we haven't been able to identify, and we truly believe that somebody in that party, somebody at that graduation ceremony party, has information," Bower said.
Melissa Rivas
"They took our beautiful Desiree, so we’re here and determined to find justice," said Melissa Rivas, Desiree’s aunt.
In the weeks following the murder, Rivas' family sought answers and justice, hoping media coverage could lead to an arrest and help them heal.
"And so, we did it because we thought there would be some sort of resolution sooner rather than later and just really not knowing we've never been through it before. So yes, it was very surreal. And yeah, it felt like a nightmare," Melissa said.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Brian Bower
‘She should have been there’
Desiree’s Class of 2024 graduated without her. Her cheer team honored her throughout the season with a Build-A-Bear bunny wearing a Chavez uniform.
"Going through the ceremony and not seeing her walk that stage was pretty hard," Vanessa said. "Not fair, definitely. That she was taken from us and it wasn’t fair. She should have been there."
For her parents, the challenge of moving on remains a daily struggle.
"I guess they call it survivor's guilt. That's the hardest. I still can't get over it. Every time I'm happy, it breaks me a little bit. It's like I don't want to be happy, why should I be happy? But I know I should be happy," Danny said.
"I think I've become a pro at answering the question of, are you OK? And I answer with, ‘I'm OK.’ What people don't see is there's days where I isolate myself. I lock myself in a room sometimes. I think it's just easier to say that I'm OK," Vanessa said.
What you can do:
Anyone with information should contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.
Spanish speakers can call Testigo Silencioso at 480-TESTIGO. Si tiene alguna información sobre este caso, llame a la línea de Testigo Silencioso (480-TESTIGO, 480-837-8446).
You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. There is a $12,000 reward in this case.
If you'd like to read more about the two other cases in Season 2 of Aftermath, click here.
Map of where the shooting happened