In the early evening of a Wednesday in September 2014, a visitor to Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood would have his life tragically cut short. Jeffrey Brown, a 47-year-old Black male from Boston, Massachusetts, was in the city visiting family. The day was September 17th, and what began as a visit turned into a scene of violence that left a family grieving and a community searching for answers.
The incident unfolded just after 6 p.m.
at the intersection of Collier Street and Fletcher Way. It was there that Jeffrey Brown was shot at least once in the head. Despite the grave injury, he managed to move from the initial location, making his way down an alley and through a vacant lot on Hermitage Street before he collapsed. The effort was ultimately in vain. He was pronounced dead at 6:06 p.m. in the 7300 block of Hermitage Street.
In the immediate aftermath, Pittsburgh public safety officials canvassed the area and began their investigation into the shooting. News reports from the time detailed the initial findings of the police and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office, confirming Brown's identity and the circumstances of his death. However, a crucial piece of the puzzle was missing. Investigators had no suspect information available in the early stages of their inquiry.
As of early 2015, the investigation into the death of Jeffrey Brown was still ongoing. No arrests had been announced, and no suspects had been publicly identified in connection with the homicide. The case remained one of the many unsolved murders in the city for that year, leaving the family of Jeffrey Brown and the community to mourn his loss without the closure of knowing who was responsible for his death.
