Thomas Jr. Cheeks, a 40-year-old Black male from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was killed late on May 24, 2016, inside his home on Steuben Street in the city’s Crafton Heights neighborhood. What began as a quiet night at home turned into a violent home invasion shortly after 11 p.m., when two intruders forced their way in through the rear entrance of the house. Cheeks was inside with his wife and teenage son, and according to reports, the family had been together in the home when the attack unfolded.
The intruders were described as two masked men. After breaking in, they shot and killed the family dog, then turned their violence toward Cheeks. He was shot in the torso or chest area and was pronounced dead at the scene, with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruling his death a homicide caused by gunshot wounds. His wife and son were not physically injured, but they were inside the home during the attack. Reports said his wife was held at gunpoint, while their son hid in a closet as the violence unfolded nearby.
Cheeks was remembered as a local barbershop owner and a well-liked man in the community. His shop was not just a business, but a place where people knew him personally. Neighbors and customers described him as generous and caring, someone who helped others without asking for anything in return. One nearby business owner recalled that Cheeks had given free haircuts to an entire wedding party. His wife, Heidi Cheeks, spoke publicly about how much he loved his family and his barbershop, saying his absence changed every part of their daily lives.
Investigators said the suspects ran from the home before police arrived. Early reports did not provide a detailed suspect description beyond the account of two men involved in the break-in. Authorities believed the men made off with cash from Cheeks’ earnings that day, but no clear motive was publicly established beyond the robbery-style home invasion. Police continued to investigate, but the case remained unsolved in the months after the killing.
By November 2016, Cheeks’ family was still searching for answers and offered a $5,000 reward of their own for information leading to justice. Crime Stoppers also offered a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Public appeals focused on finding the two men who burst into the home and killed Cheeks in front of the life he had built with his family. Available reports stated that no arrests had been made, and no charges, trials, or convictions were reported in connection with his death.
