Deon Smith, 22, was shot and killed on July 16, 2008. He lived in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, one of several areas that suffered high levels of gun violence in that period. Firearms accounted for about 80 percent of homicides in the city, and his death fits that pattern of young Black men being disproportionately affected.

From 2000 through 2012 young Black males aged 18–24 in Pittsburgh faced an average homicide rate nearly 19 times the national average, and many cases from that era remained unsolved as clearance rates were reduced by limited community cooperation and the investigative challenges involved. Family appeals for witnesses often went unanswered, leaving Deon’s family without closure.

If anyone knew Deon or has information about what happened on July 16, 2008, please come forward to assist the investigation.