In the early hours of a Sunday morning in Minneapolis, the life of 17-year-old Nehemiah Steverson, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. Just before 2 a.m. on June 1, 2014, police responded to a report of a shooting in the 1600 block of Newton Avenue North. Upon arrival, they discovered the young man on the ground in front of a home with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Nehemiah was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries later that morning.
His death was officially classified as a homicide.
Nehemiah was a junior at Edison High School, where he was known as a funny, warm, and popular student. He was actively involved in his school community as a football player, a participant in the Beacons program, and an aspiring chef. Friends remembered him as someone who was always smiling and easygoing. The superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools expressed deep sadness over his death, and the school district provided counselors and support for his classmates and staff. The city's mayor, Betsy Hodges, also offered her condolences to his family and spoke out against the senseless gun violence that took his life.
In the wake of the shooting, Minneapolis police canvassed the neighborhood and interviewed several people who may have witnessed the incident. While authorities learned that the shooting was not gang-related, they were unable to make any arrests. The shooter or shooters remained at large, leaving a community to mourn and a family to grapple with an immense loss without immediate justice. A vigil was held to honor Nehemiah's memory, though it was marred by a brief altercation that required police intervention. The investigation into the death of Nehemiah Steverson has remained ongoing, but to date, no suspects have been publicly identified or charged in connection with his murder.
