Marlon D. Lee, 36, was fatally shot on a public street in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood on September 25, 2012. The killing occurred amid a sharp spike in homicides across the city that year, when Chicago recorded more than 500 homicides and was widely described as experiencing a surge in gun violence. Reports tie the broader rise in killings to increased tensions among local gangs and a proliferation of illegal firearms; strained resources and mistrust between law enforcement and some communities are also cited as factors that hampered efforts to curb violence.

Lee’s death is one of many that underscored how shootings affected neighborhoods like Woodlawn in 2012, eroding residents’ sense of safety and community cohesion. If anyone has information about Marlon D. Lee’s shooting or remembers events in Woodlawn on or around September 25, 2012, please come forward.