Deon Smith

On July 16, 2008, Deon Smith, a 22-year-old resident of Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood, was shot and killed. His death was part of the alarming pattern of violence that particularly affected young African American males in Pittsburgh during that period. From 2000 through 2012, young Black men were significantly overrepresented in homicide statistics, with the average homicide rate for Black males aged 18-24 being nearly 19 times the national average. Deon's case, like many others, was part o ...