John Chester Asch Jr., 44, was shot while riding his bicycle in Pinellas Park, Florida, on October 23, 2017, and died of his injuries on October 24, 2017. The shooting occurred around 7:00 p.m. in the 6600 block of 62nd Avenue North. Asch, who was homeless and was living in the Kenneth City and Pinellas Park area, was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg after initially being reported as a bicycle accident victim; investigators later determined he had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Pinellas Park police detectives identified a 16-year-old, Jason Allen Olivo-Smith, as the suspect. According to investigators, Olivo-Smith approached Asch at a convenience store, gave him money to buy beer, then chased Asch and shot him in the head after Asch rode away on the bicycle with the money. Olivo-Smith was arrested on October 26, 2017, and charged with first-degree murder; he was booked into the Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment Center.

The community reacted with shock at a killing described as a senseless act over a small amount of money, and family and friends remembered Asch fondly. Does anyone have information about Asch’s movements in Pinellas Park or the convenience store where the encounter happened?