On the evening of July 17, 2020, 14-year-old Traeshaun B. Toney was shot and killed while playing basketball near his home in Gary, Indiana. Police answered a 6:26 p.m. call about a person shot near East 8th Avenue and Kentucky Street and found Traeshaun unresponsive in the back of a home; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say the shooter was Traeshaun’s older brother, 24-year-old Tyjuan King. The case record describes a long history of mental health struggles for King, including a diagnosis of schizophrenia and repeated hospitalizations; he reportedly had difficulty staying on medication and experienced hallucinations.

Charges were brought against King for the killing of his brother; later court proceedings included a guilty but mentally ill plea and an October 2021 sentencing that resulted in a 45-year prison term. The family’s statements at sentencing emphasized the lasting impact on their mother and relatives.

Did anyone in Gary know Traeshaun or remember the day of the shooting and the neighborhood where he played?