Casanova Mack

Casanova A. Mack was a 39-year-old Black man from Cleveland and a devoted father of three children. His family remembered him as a man who was always trying to make a way for his kids. His father, Anthony Brooks, said that all his son cared about was his children. A series of small misfortunes on Halloween of 2022 would tragically place him in the wrong place at the wrong time.

That morning, Mack had been scheduled to fly to California, but he overslept and missed his flight. Later that day, his brother dropped him off in downtown Cleveland’s Public Square. His father had spoken to him less than an hour earlier and was supposed to meet him at a casino that night. Not even 15 minutes after being dropped off, just before midnight on October 31, 2022, Mack was playing dice with a group of people when a man approached and shot him. Cleveland police officers on patrol nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to the area, where they found Mack wounded. He was transported to MetroHealth, where he died.

In the course of their investigation, police identified and arrested one suspect. Marquel Dennis, 21, was charged with aggravated murder for his alleged role in the shooting and was held on a $1,000,000 bond. However, investigators believed he did not act alone.

Police continued to pursue leads and determined that a second man was also involved in Mack’s murder. A year after the shooting, authorities released a photo of this second suspect to the public and asked for help identifying him. Mack’s family, still heartbroken, pleaded for the community’s assistance. “We’re dealing with it you know, the only thing we’re asking for is closure on this situation so we can be at peace,” his father said. “We’ve prayed and forgave but still we want closure.”

As of November 2023, Marquel Dennis was scheduled for a court appearance while the search for the second suspect continued. The case remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact Cleveland police at 216-623-7653.