A gentle spring evening in Boston turned tragic for 73-year-old Delois Brown, a Black great-grandmother, who was fatally shot on April 10, 2021. Brown was enjoying the weather on her front porch on Olney Street in the Dorchester neighborhood when gunfire erupted. The incident, which occurred at approximately 6 p.m., unfolded in the presence of her daughter and grandchildren.
Witnesses reported that an individual approached the area and began shooting.
It is believed that Brown was not the intended target of the attack. When the shooting began, she stood up and was struck by a stray bullet. Her daughter recounted the harrowing experience of watching her mother get shot. Brown was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The shooting was the city's 10th homicide of the year.
The death of Delois Brown, a beloved figure in her community, sparked outrage among residents and city officials. Many lamented the senseless violence that claimed the life of an innocent woman on what should have been a peaceful day. In the wake of the shooting, community leaders and local organizations came together to offer a cash reward for any information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.
Despite the public outcry and the offer of a reward, no arrests have been announced in connection with the death of Delois Brown. The investigation into her killing remains ongoing, and authorities have continued to appeal to the public for any information that might help them identify a suspect or suspects. Her case remains an unsolved homicide, leaving a family and a community waiting for justice.
