On the morning of September 30, 2023, a conversation between two men at North Goodman Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Rochester, New York, ended when 31-year-old Vernel Rose was shot in the back of the head as he turned to walk away. The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m., and Rose was found deceased near the sidewalk.

Police quickly identified 36-year-old Eric Leslie as the suspect. Authorities say Leslie fled the scene in a vehicle after the shooting; officers located the vehicle later that day on the Inner Loop near Clinton Avenue and stopped it without incident. A search of the car allegedly turned up two loaded handguns, a .380 and a 9mm, and more than 130 vials of suspected cocaine with related paraphernalia. As a convicted felon, Leslie was prohibited from possessing firearms. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon; a grand jury later indicted him on those charges.

What did neighbors or anyone in the area see that morning who might add detail about the encounter?