On the evening of March 30, 2019, 20-year-old Penn State student Nicholas Flacco was shot once in the chest and killed at FDR State Park in Philadelphia. Flacco was in town to celebrate his recent birthday with friends at a tailgate before a Phillies game. According to accounts, several altercations began nearby, reportedly among groups of women, and one woman allegedly threatened to call her man. A man later arrived armed; witnesses said the gunman fired once without hitting anyone, left, then returned about 10 to 15 minutes later during a renewed melee when Flacco was shot.

He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 10 p.m. Investigators focused on 19-year-old Tyquan Fats Atkinson, who was arrested after a four-day manhunt and charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, and firearms offenses. During the subsequent trial prosecutors presented eyewitness identifications, cell phone records, and testimony of an alleged confession; the defense disputed witness descriptions and the phone data and noted Atkinson’s denial of being at the park. The jury acquitted Atkinson of all charges in April 2022, leaving the family and community without legal closure.

Does anyone have additional information about that night at FDR State Park or about witnesses who came forward?