On a late Saturday night in Baltimore, the hum of the city was shattered by gunfire. It was June 22, 2013, on the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, where Joyce Lavania Alston, a 49-year-old Black/African American woman, was sitting in a car. Just before midnight, the scene turned tragic when both Alston and another individual, 20-year-old Gervontae Burgess, were shot.
Responding to the call, Central District police officers arrived to a scene of chaos. Both Alston and Burgess were found with gunshot wounds and were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, neither survived their injuries and were pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting left a void of information. Details regarding a potential suspect or suspects, or a motive for the double homicide, were not readily available. The investigation into the deaths of Joyce Alston and Gervontae Burgess was launched, but public reports have not since indicated any arrests or the identification of any individuals connected to the crime. The case, like many others, faded from the immediate public eye, leaving behind unanswered questions and a community grappling with the sudden loss. To date, information regarding any resolution or progress in the investigation remains undisclosed in available online sources.
