Ornette J. Massey, a 38-year-old man, was killed on September 12, 2012, in Chicago, Illinois. His death occurred during a year when the city recorded a sharp rise in homicides, reaching 506 for 2012.

That spike was concentrated in the early part of the year and coincided with unusually warm weather and police changes that included disbanding specialized gang units. Those units had focused on crime hot spots; their elimination was part of a move toward community-oriented policing under Superintendent Garry McCarthy and drew criticism for removing a tool that had targeted gang activity in vulnerable neighborhoods. Massey’s homicide is one of many that year highlighting the intersecting problems of gang violence, poverty, and shifting law enforcement strategies in Chicago.

Did anyone in Chicago know Massey or have information about his killing?