In the Cedarbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, on a Sunday afternoon, the life of 21-year-old Alex Cherry was abruptly cut short. The young Black man was engaged in a conversation with a political candidate on April 24, 2016, on Vernon Road, even expressing a desire to get involved in the upcoming election. Moments after this hopeful exchange, a man approached him from behind and fatally shot him in the head.
The brazenness of the act, committed in broad daylight, sent shockwaves
through the community. The gunman, described as a tall Black male in a gray hoodie, reportedly walked away, only to return and shoot Cherry again as he lay on the ground. This brutal slaying, which some have described as 'execution-style,' left Cherry dying on the sidewalk, still holding a piece of campaign literature. The tragic event was witnessed by a campaign worker for the state representative candidate, Chris Rabb.
In the immediate aftermath, a relative of Cherry's reportedly offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the person responsible. The grief and anger were palpable on the streets of Cedarbrook. Hours after Cherry's death, another shooting occurred nearby that police believed may have been an act of retaliation. In that incident, an 18-year-old was killed and a 17-year-old was injured. Authorities suggested that the violence stemmed from an ongoing dispute between two groups in the neighborhood.
Despite the public nature of the shooting and a description of the assailant, Alex Cherry's murder remains unsolved. His mother has spoken about the profound and lasting pain of her loss, the frustration of knowing that people in the community may have information but have not come forward, and the struggle of grappling with a case that has grown cold. She has put up reward posters in the years since his death, clinging to the hope that someone will provide the answers that could lead to justice for her son.
