Isaiah Starks

In the winter of 2015, a young life was tragically cut short in Nashville, Tennessee. Isaiah T. Starks, a 21-year-old male, was killed by gun violence on February 9, 2015. His death occurred in the J.C. Napier Homes public housing development.

The man responsible for his death was Aweis Haji-Mohamed, also known as 'Son Son'. Prior to the fatal shooting, Haji-Mohamed had been involved in other violent crimes, including three armed robberies. One of his robbery victims was Isaiah Starks himself. The conflict escalated, culminating in Haji-Mohamed shooting and killing Starks. Another man, Marquis Brandon, known as 'Dummy,' was implicated in the murder for providing Haji-Mohamed with the pistol used in the killing.

Following an investigation into a series of violent crimes in Nashville's public housing developments, several individuals were brought to justice. Aweis Haji-Mohamed pleaded guilty to his crimes, which included the murder of Isaiah Starks. He was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison. Marquis Brandon was also convicted for his role in the crime spree, which included the armed robbery of a wireless store with Haji-Mohamed and an armed home invasion, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The investigation, a multi-year effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, led to the conviction of over 70 individuals connected to the wave of violence.