De’Markus Jefferson, a 17-year-old Black male, was shot to death on August 18, 2025, outside the Villas at Shaver apartments in Pasadena, Texas. Family members remembered him as a nurturer who had just eaten with relatives minutes earlier.

Investigators say a possible motive emerged from a timeline on the same day. A friend who witnessed the shooting told detectives that roughly 21 hours earlier he and De’Markus had robbed a juvenile drug dealer; the warrant describes a strong-arm theft of a marijuana vape pen, a hoodie, and a bicycle. Surveillance footage reportedly shows a black Hyundai Elantra, stolen earlier that night, approach and fire from a rear passenger window; when Jefferson collapsed and tried to flee, the car returned and more shots were fired. The vehicle was later found abandoned about two miles away and cameras captured three people running toward the robbery victim’s home.

As of early September 2025 no arrests had been announced and no suspects named publicly. If anyone saw the Elantra, the people running from the scene, or has other information, please come forward.