Aaron Mason, a 32-year-old African American man, was shot and killed on October 25, 2017, outside the Westender Tavern on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland. He was struck in the stomach and later died at MetroHealth Medical Center. Cleveland police treated the death as a homicide.

The suspect named in the case was Joshua Walker. Reports say Walker and Mason had long-standing bad blood. Walker fled but was later located in Phoenix, Arizona, and returned to Ohio to face charges.

Charges initially included murder, but after Ohio enacted a 2019 self-defense law that altered the burden of proof in such cases, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office dropped the murder count, stating it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Walker was not acting in self-defense. Federal charges for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon were also filed against Walker.

If anyone has information about the shooting outside the Westender Tavern or knew Aaron Mason, please come forward.