On the evening of January 26, 2024, in Steubenville, Ohio, 18-year-old JaZeric Birden, known as Choppy, was fatally shot during an altercation in the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue. Police responded shortly after 9 p.m. to reports of gunfire and found Birden deceased at the scene and another 18-year-old male wounded by gunfire; that person was taken to a Pittsburgh-area hospital. Steubenville Police Chief Ken Anderson said both individuals were armed and that the confrontation escalated into an exchange of gunfire that injured both parties. The identity of the surviving individual has not been released, and authorities have not said whether he is being treated as a suspect or a victim. No arrests have been reported.

Birden was a recent graduate of Steubenville High School, where he played lineman for the Big Red, and worked at Apollo Restoration. He was remembered for his infectious laughter and jovial spirit, and his death has left a profound void in the community. The Steubenville Police Department is investigating and asks anyone with information to come forward.

Did anyone in the area see or hear anything that night that could help the investigation?