Richard Hallman

Richard Deondre Hallman, a 16-year-old African American student and promising football player at Miami’s Booker T. Washington High School, was known for his bright future. Born on January 30, 1999, he was a beloved son who his mother, Tranell Harris, would later call her "guardian angel." Richard was also the cousin of University of Florida football player Treon Harris. His life was remembered by family and friends who saw him as a young man with immense potential, making his sudden and violent death a profound loss to his community.

The evening of March 24, 2015, was a tragically violent one in Miami. At around 6 p.m., Richard was shot in the Allapattah neighborhood, in the 2000 block of Northwest 18th Terrace. The circumstances leading to the shooting were not immediately clear, though police later stated they believed it stemmed from a fight over drugs. Following the shooting, surveillance video captured three young men carrying Richard into Jackson Memorial Hospital. Despite their efforts to get him medical attention, Richard Hallman succumbed to his injuries and died. The day was marked by further tragedy, as 10-year-old Marlon Eason was killed by a stray bullet in a separate, gang-related drive-by shooting in nearby Overtown just a couple of hours later.

The Miami Police Department launched an immediate investigation into the two homicides. Detectives released the hospital surveillance footage to the public, asking for help in identifying the individuals who brought Richard to the hospital. "We don't know if they are involved or just trying to render aid," Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes said at the time. "But we need to know what they know about the shooting." The initial investigation suggested a possible link between the two killings that occurred on the same night.

In August 2015, a significant development was announced. Miami police arrested 18-year-old Ernest Rowell and 15-year-old Khalid Newkirk. Authorities initially reported that shell casings found at the scenes linked the two teenagers to both Richard's murder and the death of Marlon Eason. Rowell was charged with first-degree murder, and the younger teen was also taken into custody. The arrests offered a glimmer of hope for the grieving families. "Right now I feel positive and I have faith that this case is moving in the right direction and that there will be justice for Richard," Tranell Harris said after the arrests.

However, as the legal process moved forward, the prosecution of Rowell and Newkirk focused on the murder of Marlon Eason. While the suspects were initially linked to both crimes, later police statements indicated that the two cases were not connected. The court proceedings and subsequent public information centered on the charges related to the death of 10-year-old Marlon Eason, leaving the official status of the investigation into Richard's murder less clear.

In June 2017, in a poignant ceremony, Tranell Harris walked across the stage at her son's high school graduation to accept his diploma on his behalf, a testament to the future that was stolen from him. "My son meant the world to me," she said in an interview. "I live this legacy. I miss my son so much. I want answers for who killed my son." A funeral service for Richard was held on April 4, 2015, at the 93rd St. Community Missionary Baptist Church.

As of the latest available reports from August 2015, the charges against the arrested teens were pursued in connection with the Marlon Eason case. The homicide of Richard Hallman remains a case where justice has been elusive for his family. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Miami Police Department's homicide unit at 305-603-6350 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.