Starkesia Reed was a 14-year-old honor student and cheerleader at Harper High School who wanted to become a doctor. On the morning of March 3, 2006, while preparing for school in her home on Chicago’s South Side, she was struck in the head by a stray bullet from an assault weapon and killed almost instantly.

Authorities say the shot was fired by 24-year-old Carail Weeks, who was aiming at a rival gang member in a dispute over a woman. Weeks was arrested within a week after witnesses at the scene identified him and the weapon used was linked to him. His first trial in December 2008 ended in a mistrial; a later jury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, and in October 2009 he was sentenced to 150 years in prison. Starkesia’s mother, Denise Reed, attended the trials and spoke of relief at the verdict while acknowledging it could not bring her daughter back.

Starkesia’s death remains a stark example of the toll of gun violence on innocent lives; anyone who knew Starkesia or has information about the events surrounding that morning is asked to come forward.