2 people are shot and killed Jahad Chris McLaughlin Jr., a 22-year-old Black man known to friends as "Hodd The God," is remembered as a laid-back, funny, and loving person. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 26, 1994, he attended several local high schools, including Benedictine, John Adams, and John F. Kennedy. At the time of his death, he was the proud father of a two-year-old son. His life was cut tragically short in a violent encounter that also claimed the life of his friend, Martinique King.
In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, September 11, 2016, violence erupted in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood. Around 2 a.m., residents near the 2400 block of East 86th Street were startled by the sound of a woman's scream followed by a series of gunshots. When police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a horrific sight: Jahad and 22-year-old Martinique King were lying in the street, both suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. One of the victims had been shot in the face.
Emergency services rushed both Jahad and Martinique to University Hospitals, but their injuries were too severe. Both were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Cleveland Division of Police immediately launched a homicide investigation into the double murder. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood, speaking to witnesses who had heard the chaos unfold. Despite the accounts of screams and gunfire, investigators were unable to gather a description of any suspects involved in the slayings. In the initial hours and days following the shooting, no information about a potential motive or person of interest was released to the public. The case was added to the Ohio Attorney General's list of unsolved homicides.
The crime occurred during a particularly violent period in the city. Cleveland recorded 136 homicides in 2016, a significant increase from the previous year, which stretched the resources of law enforcement. This surge in violence created a challenging environment for detectives working on complex cases like the murders of Jahad and Martinique. As years passed with no arrests, their killings became a cold case, a source of enduring pain for their families and community.
Family and friends mourned the profound loss of two young lives. A public visitation for Jahad was held at the E. F. Boyd & Son Funeral Home, followed by a funeral service on September 20, 2016, at the Lift Him Up Apostolic Faith Church in Cleveland. He was laid to rest at Cleveland Memorial Gardens. In the years since, his loved ones have continued to seek justice, hoping that someone will come forward with the information needed to solve the case.
As of September 2026, a decade after the fatal shooting, the murders of Jahad McLaughlin Jr. and Martinique King remain unsolved. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made. The families are still waiting for answers and for justice to be served. The Cleveland Division of Police continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information about the deaths is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464. 
