On May 5, 2012, 26-year-old Lamar Patton was fatally shot in Oakland, California. The killing occurred within an area frequently called the 100 blocks, parts of East and West Oakland that account for a large share of the city’s homicides and long-standing gun violence.

Patton’s death came during a year of rising homicides in Oakland; 2012 recorded 127 killings amid widespread concerns about illegal firearms, constrained police resources, and interrupted funding for violence-prevention efforts such as Ceasefire. City responses at the time included data-driven initiatives, community policing and controversial measures like gang injunctions and youth curfews, but funding instability and limited community trust hindered some programs.

Anyone with information about Lamar Patton or who remembers the area around May 5, 2012 is asked to come forward. What does the community recall from that time that might help explain what happened?