On what was his first day back at school after a period of remote learning, 15-year-old Marquis Campbell was fatally shot on January 19, 2022, while sitting in a school van in Pittsburgh, PA. The male student at Oliver Citywide Academy was waiting to go home for the day at around 1:45 p.m. when two brothers, Eugene and Brandon Watson, approached the vehicle.
After a brief conversation with the driver to confirm Marquis was inside, Eugene Watson fired twice into the partially opened window of the van, striking Marquis in the chest. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
Investigators believe the shooting was the result of an ongoing dispute between the Watson brothers and Marquis Campbell, which had led to three previous fights at another school they had all attended. Following the shooting, the two suspects fled, leaving footprints in the snow that police were able to follow to a nearby church. There, authorities discovered discarded clothing, shoes, and a fully loaded. 38-revolver. A receipt found in a backpack led police to a Giant Eagle grocery store where surveillance footage captured the brothers. This evidence, combined with surveillance video of the shooting itself, led to the arrests of then 18-year-old Eugene Watson and his 17-year-old brother, Brandon Watson, in April 2023. Both were charged as adults with Criminal Homicide, Conspiracy, and firearms violations.
In October 2023, Eugene Watson pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, conspiracy, and firearms violations. He was subsequently sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. The charges against his younger brother, Brandon, were withdrawn in adult court. He was instead adjudicated delinquent in juvenile court on one count of conspiracy. Family and school staff remembered Marquis Campbell as a bright student with a quick-witted sense of humor and a contagious smile that could light up a room.
