Jamar Thomas was 26 when he was fatally shot on May 10, 2015, during a Mother’s Day cookout in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The shooting happened around 7 p.m. while Thomas was with family. Witnesses said a 19-year-old guest, Brett Terry, argued with Thomas, left the gathering, returned with a revolver and fired multiple times. Thomas was killed at the scene; a juvenile relative was grazed in the abdomen by another bullet.

Police officers detained Terry shortly after the shooting; he was found with his hands up and reportedly told an officer he had dropped the gun behind his car and didn’t want to shoot Thomas. The loss deeply affected Thomas’ family — his mother, Theresa Pritchard, described her grief and disbelief — and the case drew attention locally to gun violence and community safety.

If anyone who attended that cookout or has information about the events leading up to the argument can help, please share what you know.