Demarcus L. Payne was 12 when he was found on February 2, 2015, with a gunshot wound to the head on West McClure Avenue in Peoria, Illinois. His family had moved to Peoria from Chicago the day before in search of a safer environment; the community responded with a vigil organized by Peoria Community Against Violence and a donation fund to help with funeral expenses.

Early investigation produced no immediate answers. The Peoria Police Department said officers were actively working the case and urged anyone with information to come forward; Mayor Jim Ardis and community groups promoted anti-violence initiatives such as Don’t Shoot, Don’t Start. In August 2015 police announced arrests in the case, including 18-year-olds Darrell Brown and Draneol Hall, who turned themselves in.

What additional information or memories about Demarcus or that neighborhood might help bring clarity to his death?