In the autumn of 2015, the life of 15-year-old Zavion Escobar, a Black male sophomore at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, New York, was tragically cut short. On the evening of October 14th, on Hope Avenue, Zavion was shot and killed in an act of what authorities would later describe as gang-related violence. Another teenager, aged 17, was also wounded in the attack but survived.
The incident was part of an ongoing and violent conflict between two local gangs, the Bricktown Gang, with which Zavion was associated, and the rival 110 Gang.
Following the shooting, the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle, which they later abandoned near the Oakwood Cemetery. The proximity of the abandoned car to the Syracuse University campus triggered an 'Orange Alert' and a shelter-in-place order for the university community, casting a wider net of fear and disruption beyond the immediate scene of the crime. For weeks, the suspects remained at large, leaving the community on edge and Zavion's family searching for answers. The Syracuse Police Department's investigation into the teen's death was intensive, highlighting the pervasive issue of gang violence that had been plaguing the city.
A break in the case came nearly two months later, on a Saturday in early December. A routine traffic stop for a minor infraction led to the arrest of 21-year-old Keary Moore. Initially, Moore attempted to deceive the patrol officers by providing a false name. However, his true identity was soon discovered, and he was taken into custody. Following an interview with detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division, Keary Moore was charged with murder in the second degree for the death of Zavion Escobar. In addition to the murder charge, he also faced charges of false personation and traffic violations. While Moore was identified as the primary suspect, the investigation continued, with authorities indicating that more arrests were possible in connection with the fatal shooting.
