In the summer of 2015, the life of 40-year-old Marquise D. Solomon, a Black/African American man from Schenectady, New York, was tragically cut short. On the evening of June 18th, a passerby discovered Solomon in the parking lot of a church at the corner of State and Swan streets, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Ellis Hospital and later transferred to Albany Medical Center Hospital.
For four days, he clung to life, but on June 22, 2015, he succumbed to his injuries.
A father of four, Solomon was working as a kitchen aide in Saratoga County and was remembered by his family as a dedicated parent. His grandmother recalled him as someone who was trying to provide a better future for his children. Friends and mentors described him as a man who was actively trying to turn his life around and leave a troubled past behind. In a poignant moment before his death, he scrawled 'I'm sorry' on a clipboard, a message his family believed was for the pain they were enduring. This was not the first time Solomon had been a victim of gun violence; in 2002, he was critically injured in a drive-by shooting in Albany.
Investigators in Schenectady began probing the homicide and soon determined that Solomon was the victim of a robbery perpetrated by two assailants. The police worked to gather evidence, including reviewing surveillance footage from the area in an attempt to identify the individuals responsible for his death. However, despite their efforts, the case grew cold.
As of late 2022, the murder of Marquise Solomon remained an open and unsolved case. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The Schenectady Police Department continues to seek information from the public, while a family is left to mourn the loss of a father and son, still waiting for justice to be served.
