In the early evening of Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, 31-year-old Tamara Gliss, a Black female, was enjoying a barbecue with others outside her apartment in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. At approximately 8:51 p.m., in the 600 block of O Street NW, the festivities were shattered by gunfire. A gunman, believed to have been riding a dirt bike, opened fire, striking Gliss.
She was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Known affectionately as 'Yamz,' Tamara was a devoted mother to her 12-year-old son, DeVontae. Her mother, Sandy Gliss, described her as a woman with a wonderful personality who was known for doing good in her community and being supportive of everyone. At the time of her death, she was between jobs but had previously worked for D.C. Public Schools as a behavior technician and as a supervisor for a food-service vendor. Her sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through her community, leaving her family, including her fiancé, in deep mourning.
In the wake of the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Detectives believed Gliss may not have been the intended target, but rather was sitting near someone the gunman was aiming for. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene on a dirt bike, a mode of transportation that had become a growing problem in the city. Despite public pleas from her mother for witnesses to come forward and a reward of up to $25,000 being offered for information, the investigation did not immediately lead to an arrest.
The case remained open for a period, with no suspects publicly identified. However, it was later reported that the investigation into Tamara Gliss's murder was closed in 2016. This closure came after the individual police had identified as the suspect in her killing had died. Tragically, Tamara's family would face further heartbreak when her brother, Malik Gliss, also became a victim of gun violence in January 2024.
