On March 24, 2015, 10-year-old Marlon Eason, known to his family as Murv, was struck in the head by a stray bullet while playing basketball in the front yard of his home in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood and died shortly afterward. He loved cars, Batman, and sports. The shooting happened after gunfire erupted nearby; Marlon and his grandmother Dorothy Ruffin ran for cover when he was hit.

Police arrested two teenagers in connection with the shooting, 18-year-old Ernest Rowell and 15-year-old Khalib Newkirk. Court documents say the teens admitted they were aiming at someone else when a bullet struck Marlon. Khalib Newkirk was later acquitted and released, while proceedings continued for Ernest Rowell. Marlon’s mother, Elizabeth Ruffin, helped gather information from the community that identified the suspects. The family has kept Marlon’s memory alive, including a tribute when he would have graduated high school and the award of an honorary diploma.