On December 5, 2021, 31-year-old Hakeem Moran, a Black man from Pittsburgh, was fatally attacked in Butler, Pennsylvania. Moran was stabbed multiple times and shot once during the assault. He was found lying in a yard on College Street and was later pronounced dead at a Pittsburgh hospital. The incident occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m., when police responded to reports of shots fired.
Two other individuals were also assaulted during the attack, but they survived.
The investigation into Moran's death revealed that he was targeted during a drug robbery. Brooke R. Fair-Smith and Hassan L.R. Brack, both residents of Butler, were identified as suspects. Fair-Smith allegedly set up Moran to be robbed by luring him to the College Street home under the pretense of buying drugs. Surveillance footage and witness testimonies placed Fair-Smith and Brack at the scene. A knife with Moran's DNA was found under a car near the crime scene.
In May 2023, nearly 18 months after Moran's death, Fair-Smith and Brack were arrested and charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and burglary. They are currently being held in Butler County Prison without bail. A third suspect, Kahlil Z.H. Rippy Jr., was also charged with the crime, but he is seeking the dismissal of the homicide charge against him. The case is ongoing, and the court has yet to issue a final ruling.
The tragic death of Hakeem Moran has left the community in Butler grappling with the impact of violent crime and the ongoing legal proceedings against the accused individuals.
