James Franklin, a 48-year-old Black man from Cleveland, was shot on July 17, 2025, near East 79th Street and Euclid Avenue and later died at a nearby hospital. Third District officers responded in the early afternoon after reports of a man wounded by gunfire; officers found the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound and he was transported for treatment but was pronounced dead. The Cleveland Division of Police’s homicide unit has opened an investigation and is leading the inquiry into the circumstances of the shooting and what preceded it.

The victim was publicly identified as James Squirrel Franklin, age 48, and the death is recorded for July 17, 2025, in Cleveland by the National Gun Violence Memorial, which matches the police-reported shooting. As of the initial reporting, there were no arrests, no suspects publicly named, no motive announced, and no person of interest identified. If anyone saw activity near East 79th and Euclid Avenue that afternoon or has information about James Franklin, please come forward.