Marlon Pendleton, a 25-year-old African American man, was shot in the back and killed on August 26, 2017, in the parking lot of the Fairgrounds housing complex in the 300 block of Underwood Street in Rockford, Illinois. Police reported multiple shootings that night they believed were connected: three hours later Tyrell Dorsey, also 25, was shot and killed in the 300 block of Royal Avenue, and about an hour after that three more people were shot in the 4100 block of Auburn Street. Investigators said the victims appeared to have been specifically targeted.

A 23-year-old man, Tracy Barfield Jr., was charged with Pendleton’s murder; prosecutors said Barfield shot Pendleton in the back. On August 23, 2019, a Winnebago County jury found Barfield not guilty of the murder, acquitting him of all charges related to Pendleton’s death. No charges in the other shootings were brought against Barfield.

Many questions remain about who was responsible for Pendleton’s killing. Does anyone have information about the Fairgrounds parking lot that night or the connected shootings?