In the early morning hours of August 20, 2023, gunfire in Syracuse’s Armory Square district left 25-year-old Ramal Kearse dead. Officers heard shots just after midnight and found Kearse on the 400 block of South Clinton Street with multiple gunshot wounds. First responders transported him to Upstate University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was the nephew of a deacon at the Well of Hope church and is mourned by friends and family.

Authorities described the killing as a targeted act of gang violence connected to a fight between Kearse and another person. Investigators say Kearse was unarmed when he was shot four times; 16 shell casings were recovered at the scene. One person has been arrested on weapons charges not linked to the homicide, and the search for the shooter remained ongoing as of the latest reports.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about the altercation that preceded it, please come forward to assist the investigation.