Blair DeLane Holt was 16 when he was fatally shot on May 10, 2007, while riding a CTA bus in Chicago. A student at Percy Julian High School, Blair was struck as he tried to shield a friend during a gang-related shooting on the bus. The shooter, Michael Pace, was also 16 at the time and was later convicted of Blair’s murder.

Pace was originally sentenced to 100 years in prison; resentencing under new juvenile guidelines reduced that term to 75 years in 2018, with parole eligibility pushed to about age 85. Blair’s parents, Ron Holt and Annette Nance-Holt, opposed the reduction and have since been involved in anti-violence work and established a scholarship fund for Percy Julian students. A street near the school was designated Honorary Blair DeLane Holt Way on the tenth anniversary of his death.

If anyone knew Blair, witnessed the shooting, or has information that could shed light on the incident, please share what is known.