In the early morning hours of July 31, 2020, 21-year-old Zahr Butler was fatally shot on OK Terrace in Rochester, New York. The shooting happened about 12:50 a.m., shortly after police had been called to disperse a large gathering at the nearby intersection of Mazda Terrace and North Clinton Avenue. Emergency responders found Butler with at least one gunshot wound to his torso; officers and medical personnel attempted aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Many people at the scene had been part of the crowd that was dispersed just moments earlier. Butler’s death was recorded as the city’s 22nd homicide that year, during a period when Rochester was experiencing a notable rise in gun violence and the mayor had issued an emergency order limiting public gatherings. The investigation remains open; no arrests have been announced and no suspects have been publicly identified.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Zahr Butler, please come forward to assist the ongoing investigation.