Fourteen-year-old Braylon Hardges was fatally shot on November 5, 2023, near East 90th Street and Edmunds Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, around 6:20 p.m. Braylon and 16-year-old Steven Sopko were leaving Sopko’s girlfriend’s residence when Sopko let Braylon walk ahead and then fired 12 shots into his back. After Braylon fell, Sopko leaned over and fired a final shot, then fled the scene and returned to the girlfriend’s house. Braylon was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

The Cleveland Police Department’s Homicide Unit linked Sopko to the shooting using phone records, social media, and ballistic evidence. The motive for the killing remains unclear, and Braylon’s family and the community are still seeking answers. Does anyone have information about Braylon, where he spent his time that evening, or anything that could shed light on why this happened?