De'Markus Jefferson, a 17-year-old male who was Black/African American, was shot to death on August 18, 2025, outside the Villas at Shaver apartments in Pasadena, Texas. According to a search warrant obtained by local reporters, he had been taking out the trash when gunfire erupted, striking him three times. Family members told television reporters he had just eaten with relatives minutes earlier and was a “nurturer” who was raised well, details that surfaced as the community gathered to
lay him to rest soon after the killing.
Investigators pieced together a timeline suggesting a possible motive that unfolded across the same day. A friend who witnessed the shooting told detectives that, roughly 21 hours earlier, he and De'Markus Jefferson had robbed a juvenile drug dealer known to a female friend. Officers described it as a strong-arm robbery, and the warrant says items taken included a marijuana vape pen, a hoodie, and a bicycle. The shooting occurred at approximately 9:58 p.m., and detectives indicated the killing could have been retaliatory.
Surveillance footage, as described in the warrant, captured a black Hyundai Elantra—reported stolen earlier that night—approaching the teen. Shots were fired from the rear passenger window, and when De'Markus Jefferson collapsed and tried to limp away, the car swung back and more shots followed. The Elantra was later discovered abandoned about two miles from the scene. Additional cameras recorded three people sprinting away in the direction of the robbery victim's home, offering investigators a thread to follow but not yet a name.
As of the latest reporting in early September 2025, police had not announced any arrests, and no suspects had been publicly identified by name. Memorial pages and community records confirmed the date and place of death, while echoing the call for information that might transform the silhouettes caught on camera into defendants in a courtroom.
