In the summer of 2020, a young man's life was tragically cut short on the steps of a Brooklyn park. Robert McLeod, a 27-year-old male, was discovered just before noon on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in Lincoln Terrace/Arthur S. Somers Park in Crown Heights. He had sustained fatal gunshot wounds to his head and chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Robert McLeod lived on Montgomery Street, only a few blocks from where his body was found.
According to friends, he was supposed to meet them in the park that morning. One friend recounted that McLeod had said he was going to the store and would be right back. Concerns grew when they saw police activity and McLeod's bike at the scene.
Friends of McLeod shared that he had faced struggles, including a period of homelessness. They also mentioned that he had been making positive changes in his life, having recently secured an apartment and adopted a pet dog. However, they also noted that he had been involved in a gang and had been robbed at gunpoint in the same park just weeks before his death.
In the days following the discovery of Robert McLeod's body, the New York City Police Department identified him and began their investigation. However, as of a few days after the incident, no arrests had been made in connection with his murder, and no suspects had been publicly identified. The case was part of a significant surge in gun violence that the city was experiencing at the time.
