On January 12, 2025, at about 11:30 p.m. shots were reported on the 100 block of Oakland Street in Springfield. A ShotSpotter activation brought officers to the scene, where 19-year-old Semaj Brewster, a Black/African American male, was found with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center but died of his injuries. The Springfield Police Department’s Homicide Unit and the Hampden District Attorney’s Office opened an investigation and treated the shooting as a homicide.

Details released so far describe the timeline from the gunfire to Brewster’s transport to the hospital; other facts about motive, a weapon, or a suspect have not been provided. If anyone witnessed the incident on Oakland Street that night or has information about Semaj Brewster’s movements or contacts, please come forward to assist the investigation.