On a summer afternoon in Springfield, Tennessee, the life of 29-year-old Martelle Black was cut short by gunfire. Emergency services responded to a call of a shooting on Holly Circle shortly after 1 p.m. on June 23, 2022. Upon their arrival, they discovered Martelle Black, a Black male, deceased at the scene.
The Springfield Police Department quickly launched a homicide investigation into the fatal shooting. Investigators assured the community that they believed the shooting was an isolated incident and that there was no immediate danger to the public. While the investigation was described as ongoing, authorities did not release any information about potential suspects or arrests in connection with the case.
Martelle Jonquise Black was born on September 17, 1992, and was a 2011 graduate of Springfield High School. He was a father to a son and two daughters. His life, however, was not without controversy. In 2013, at the age of 21, Black was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, and aggravated robbery in the shooting death of Shawnise Leavell. That case was reportedly related to a drug deal that turned violent.
His own death nearly a decade later remains an open investigation. The Springfield Police Department has encouraged anyone with information regarding the shooting of Martelle Black to come forward to assist in their inquiries.
