On the evening of May 10, 2021, 51-year-old Danny Pearson Jr., a resident of Albany, New York, was found behind the wheel of a car on First Street between North Lake Avenue and Judson Street with a gunshot wound. First responders arrived around 8:20 p.m. and also observed evidence of a car crash at the scene; it was unclear whether the collision occurred before or after the shooting. Pearson was taken to Albany Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.

Albany police later identified a suspect. Less than three weeks after the shooting, a grand jury indicted 26-year-old Damien McCaskey of Troy on one count of second-degree murder; he was taken into custody, pleaded not guilty at arraignment, and was held without bail. In January 2023 McCaskey, then 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, admitting his role in Pearson’s death.

If anyone witnessed the incident on First Street or has information about what led to the shooting, please share what is known with investigators.