Kaari Thompson, a 4-year-old Black girl from Pittsburgh, was a loving child known for her bright and charismatic personality. Family and friends described her as a superstar in the making who was always smiling and passing out hugs. Her grandmother called her the "sweetest kid," and her grandfather said that in her four years, she gave him a joy that most people get in 40. Kaari was a student at Pittsburgh Lincoln Early Childhood, where she enjoyed playing in the classroom’s housekeeping section and making pretend food for everyone.
On the evening of December 1, 2022, Kaari was with her mother, 21-year-old Temani Lewis, who was sitting in the driver's seat of her parked Jeep Cherokee. They were outside the Brooklyn Food Mart on Lincoln Avenue in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood when multiple people approached and opened fire on the vehicle. At least 15 shots were fired.
Kaari was struck by the gunfire and rushed to a children's hospital, but she did not survive. Her mother was critically injured and died five days later, on December 6, 2022.
The double homicide devastated the community, which gathered for a balloon release to honor Kaari and call for an end to gun violence. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey publicly condemned the shooting and called on residents to help find those responsible. Detectives began a meticulous investigation, analyzing surveillance footage from the area. The video showed several suspects shooting at the Jeep before fleeing. Investigators were able to track one of the suspects to a white getaway car, which they identified through license plate readers as being registered to the mother of one of the eventual suspects.
Nearly ten months later, on October 6, 2023, police arrested two men in connection with the murders. Marquise St. Julien Givner, 21, was taken into custody when he appeared in court for a separate case, and his arrest led investigators to the second suspect, 19-year-old Tarrell Jennings. Both men were charged with two counts of criminal homicide, criminal attempt, criminal conspiracy, and aggravated assault. Givner was also charged with carrying a firearm without a license.
The cases against both men have since concluded. Tarrell Jennings pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Marquise St. Julien Givner went to trial, where a jury found him guilty of the murders of Kaari Thompson and Temani Lewis.
