In the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, 15-year-old Dayvon Vickers, an African American male, was a familiar and positive presence. Known affectionately as 'Day-Day,' he was often seen riding his mini-bike through the community or selling bottled water, a small business he started himself. Friends and family remember him as a caring and loving person with a beautiful spirit and a smile that could light up a room. A student at Pittsburgh Westinghouse, Dayvon was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and was a member of the Safe Passage after-school program. Having lost his mother the previous year, he was navigating his teenage years with a sense of ambition and was well-regarded by those who knew him.
On the evening of March 30, 2022, Dayvon was on his mini-bike at the intersection of North Homewood and Frankstown avenues. Just after 6 p.m., as he waited for traffic to pass, a male figure across the street raised a hand and fired three shots. One of the bullets struck Dayvon in the head. A police officer who knew the teen from the neighborhood was the first to arrive on the scene and tended to him until paramedics arrived. Dayvon was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. The sudden and violent end to such a young life sent a shockwave of grief through the Homewood community.
The investigation into Dayvon's death was captured on surveillance footage, which showed a masked man in distinctive black pants with large white decals firing the fatal shots. Though police identified a suspect from the video shortly after the incident, an arrest was not immediately made. The suspect, Shaun Scott, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was taken into custody months later in connection with another homicide. On July 6, 2022, Pittsburgh Police announced that Shaun Scott had been charged with the murder of Dayvon Vickers. The charges included criminal homicide, possession of a firearm by a minor, and carrying a firearm without a license.
In October 2025, a jury found Shaun Scott guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Dayvon Vickers. Key evidence presented at the trial included the surveillance video of the shooting and testimony that linked Scott to the murder weapon and the unique pants worn by the shooter. Because Scott was a minor at the time of the crime, he was not eligible for a life sentence without parole. On January 15, 2026, a judge sentenced Shaun Scott to a term of 35 years to life in prison. Scott was also facing a separate trial for another homicide that occurred in the months between Dayvon's death and his arrest.
