On May 7, 2024, at about 1:50 a.m. officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 700 block of West 4th Street in Erie and found 35-year-old Deonte Dupree Tate, Sr. deceased from gunshot wounds to his head and torso. A 31-year-old woman was also shot in the legs and lower abdomen and taken to UPMC Hamot in critical but stable condition.

Police identified a suspect, 34-year-old Melvin D. Burnett Jr., who was apprehended within ten minutes after a brief foot chase. Investigators say surveillance footage and witness statements show Burnett drawing a firearm and firing multiple rounds. The weapon was identified as a stolen Glock 9mm, and officers found a substantial amount of suspected heroin on Burnett at arrest. He faced homicide, first-degree murder, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and multiple firearm and drug-related charges and was denied bail.

Tate, born September 12, 1988, in Erie, was remembered as a devoted father and fiancé, a Strong Vincent High School graduate who enjoyed sports, cooking, and family. A community vigil called Take Back the Site was held at the shooting location on May 28, 2024. If anyone has information about what happened that night, please come forward.