On September 4, 2023, Mercedes Tiana Iverson-Carter, 30, was shot and killed during a family picnic at Stafford Park in Maple Heights, Ohio. She was pregnant and expecting a daughter named Ava. Mercedes and her husband, Trea Norbert Carter, 31, had been married less than a year and were preparing to celebrate their first anniversary in October.

According to reports, Mercedes’s brother, Jason D. Iverson, 29, arrived at the gathering and became involved in an altercation with his sister and her husband. Witnesses said Mercedes and Trea tried to leave the park with a 13-year-old boy in their care; as they approached their vehicle Jason followed and opened fire with a handgun. Mercedes was struck and later pronounced dead along with her unborn child after being taken to a hospital. Trea Carter was shot and died at the scene; the 13-year-old suffered a graze wound and survived.

Jason Iverson was taken into custody at the park and charged with multiple counts including aggravated murder, attempted murder and felonious assault. The shooting is described by law enforcement as arising from a long-standing family dispute. Does anyone have information about the events at Stafford Park that afternoon or about the family dynamics that preceded this tragedy?