On the evening of July 31, 2009, 18-year-old Marteze Ward was shot in the chest in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh and was then struck by a vehicle. Officers found him unconscious at 3155 Cordell Place and he was taken to UPMC Mercy, where he was pronounced dead at 10:27 p.m.

Ward, a Black young man from the Bon Air neighborhood, was described by his sister as bubbly and outgoing and was the youngest of eight siblings. He had learned that his girlfriend was pregnant, had just pleaded guilty to a drug charge that day and received nine months’ probation, and had enrolled in a GED program. He was also due to start a maintenance job at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh homicide detectives investigated the shooting but had not determined a motive or said whether his court appearance was related. As of November 2009 no charges had been filed and there have been no reports of arrests or identified suspects. If anyone knew Marteze or has information about what happened that night, please come forward.