Scott Eugene Merker, 34, was shot and killed on the street in Oakland, California, on September 11, 2012. His death was one of 129 homicides recorded in Oakland that year, many of them concentrated in East and West Oakland amid rising violent crime and gang activity.

Like numerous cases from 2012, Merker’s homicide remains unsolved. The city’s strained resources and a shortfall in Oakland Police Department staffing that year are noted factors in a low clearance rate and a scarcity of witnesses willing to come forward. Community frustration with police effectiveness and trust deficits are repeatedly cited as obstacles to solving murders in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

Local officials and groups have pursued violence-reduction efforts such as Operation Ceasefire and victim-support advocacy, but funding and trust issues have limited impact for many families still seeking answers. Does anyone have information about Merker or remember circumstances from around September 11, 2012, that could help investigators?