John Dempsey, 39, was shot and killed outside a residence on Bock Street in Rochester’s Beechwood neighborhood in the early morning hours of a Saturday in October. The shooting happened about 3:30 a.m. and is believed to have followed a dispute at a nearby birthday party. Emergency crews pronounced Dempsey dead at the scene; he was the city’s 28th homicide of the year.

Dempsey’s mother, Delanese Anderson, said he was a talented musician, a caring friend, a devoted brother and a selfless father. She stressed that he was not involved in street life and appealed publicly for information. Family and friends held a balloon release to honor him; the family has previously suffered another fatal shooting loss years earlier.

The Rochester Police Department opened a homicide investigation; in the days immediately following the shooting no suspects had been identified and no arrests were announced. Does anyone who was in the Beechwood area that night or who knew John have information that could help investigators?