In the early hours of March 18, 2022, Willis DeMar Brooks, a 30-year-old male, was working as a security guard at Nerdz Lobbi, an after-hours club in Pittsburgh's Knoxville neighborhood. A certified state constable, Brooks was also a school security guard with dreams of one day becoming a police officer. His mother, Oneka Jones, described him as a protector who believed in helping those who couldn't help themselves.
That night, his protective instincts were put to the test as he escorted an unruly couple from the establishment. It was a task he undertook to ensure the safety of the other patrons, a final act in a life dedicated to looking out for others.
As Brooks was removing the couple, a man named Akeyba Sanchez and another individual, Deontay Patrick, appeared. Gunshots shattered the pre-dawn quiet, and Brooks was struck multiple times. He was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries. The aspiring police officer and loving father of five girls, one of whom he never had the chance to meet, was gone. His mother would later express the profound loss, stating that the world had lost a beautiful soul who 'loved everyone.'
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly. Aided by surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts, police identified 23-year-old Akeyba Sanchez as the primary shooter. He was arrested and charged with criminal homicide. Another man, Deontay Patrick, was also identified as having fired a weapon during the incident. Investigators tracked a red sedan seen fleeing the scene, which was registered to Sanchez, and found Patrick's fingerprints inside the vehicle.
The legal process brought a measure of closure, though not without reopening wounds for the grieving family. Deontay Patrick pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced to 11 to 22 years in prison. In December 2024, Akeyba Sanchez admitted to the killing in court. For Willis Brooks' mother, the admission brought more pain than peace, as she noted the lack of remorse shown by her son's killer. In the wake of her son's death, Oneka Jones started the Willis De'Marr Foundation to support other families who have lost loved ones to senseless violence.
