On September 4, 2023, 31-year-old Trea Carter III was fatally shot at a family picnic in Stafford Park, Maple Heights, Ohio. He and his pregnant wife, 30-year-old Mercedes Iverson-Carter, were attending the gathering with family when a confrontation occurred with Mercedes’s brother, Jason Iverson. Police reports say the dispute escalated into a physical altercation; witnesses describe Jason following the couple to their vehicle and opening fire with a handgun. Trea reportedly fled into a nearby bathroom and was pursued and shot there.

Both Trea and Mercedes were pronounced dead at the scene, and their unborn daughter Ava also died. A 13-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet, treated at a hospital, and survived. Jason Iverson was apprehended while attempting to flee the park on foot and has been charged with multiple counts including aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Who in the community might have seen the confrontation or has information about what led up to the shooting?