On April 24, 2016, 21-year-old Alex Cherry was shot and killed on Vernon Road in the Cedarbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia. Cherry, a young Black man, was speaking with a political candidate about getting involved in the upcoming election when a man approached from behind and shot him in the head. Witnesses say the assailant, described as a tall Black male in a gray hoodie, walked away and then returned to shoot Cherry again as he lay on the sidewalk; Cherry was reportedly still holding a piece of campaign literature when he died.

A campaign worker for state representative candidate Chris Rabb saw the attack. A relative offered a $20,000 reward for information soon after, and Cherry’s mother later put up posters and spoke publicly about her ongoing grief and frustration that the case has grown cold. Police linked a nearby shooting hours later, which left an 18-year-old dead and a 17-year-old injured, to a neighborhood dispute and believed it may have been retaliation. No arrest has been reported and the murder remains unsolved.

If anyone knew Alex, saw activity on Vernon Road that afternoon, or has information about the man in the gray hoodie, please come forward.