Jason Blair Roberts was 46 when he was shot and killed just after 2 a.m. on June 9, 2018, in downtown Davenport, Iowa. First responders found him with life-threatening injuries; he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The shooting began after a fight outside a bar; Roberts, described as a peaceful man and community pillar, had attempted to break up the altercation and was struck by three gunshots during that effort.

Roberts coached youth sports and helped found Boots on the Ground, a grassroots group working to end gun violence in the Quad Cities. The investigation led to the arrest of 37-year-old Deondra Thomas. During a January 2019 trial, Thomas’s cousin testified that Thomas admitted to the shooting while they were driving away; other witnesses said they saw Thomas raise his arm as if drawing a gun, heard shots, and saw him walk away. A jury convicted Thomas of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, making him subject to a mandatory life sentence.

If anyone knew Jason, his activities in youth sports or Boots on the Ground, or witnessed what happened that night, please share what is known.