Jazmere Brianna Custis, a 19-year-old female, was looking forward to her sophomore year at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she was studying clinical and child psychology. A graduate of Steel Valley High School, she was known for her academic achievements and her peaceful nature. She was home for the summer in Homestead, Pennsylvania, with plans to get an apartment and a puppy.
On the evening of June 22, 2018, Jazmere was with a college roommate and reluctantly agreed to give her roommate's brother and a friend a ride. After attending a party in Homestead, they drove to Munhall in her mother's silver Nissan. Around 2:15 a.m., they stopped the car in the 1300 block of Margaret Street. As one of the passengers was about to get out, another vehicle approached, and an unidentified person opened fire on their car.
The sudden burst of gunfire riddled the vehicle with bullets, striking all four occupants. Jazmere Custis was pronounced dead at the scene. The three other passengers, an 18-year-old female and two 17-year-old males, also sustained gunshot wounds but survived. A security camera in the neighborhood captured a vehicle speeding away from the scene shortly before police arrived.
Investigators with the Allegheny County Police believe that Jazmere was an innocent victim and not the intended target of the shooting. In the months and years that have followed the tragic event, her family has repeatedly pleaded with the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. Despite their pleas and a reward being offered by Crime Stoppers, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with her murder. The case remains unsolved, and a killer remains at large.
