Mario Green

Mario Green was a man who, by all accounts, loved people and was loved in return. Friends and family remembered the 41-year-old Black man as "the absolute best" and an "amazing person gone too soon." Known to some as "Marlee-Gee" or "Bro Bro," he was someone who "loved everybody," and that love was reciprocated. A former student of Central of Lunenburg high school, his life was a valued part of his Roanoke, Virginia community. But just days before Christmas in 2021, that life was violently cut short, leaving a void for those who knew him.

The night of Wednesday, December 22, 2021, was a violent one in Roanoke, with two separate shootings occurring within hours of each other. Around midnight, the Roanoke Police Department received a call reporting a shooting at a residence in the 1000 block of Hanover Avenue NW. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a man and a woman inside the home, both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

The man was identified as Mario Green. Emergency medical personnel from Roanoke Fire-EMS pronounced him dead at the scene. The woman who was found with him had sustained a non-life-threatening wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The incident that claimed Mario’s life was the second of two distinct shootings that troubled the city that night, creating a grim holiday season for the community and especially for his loved ones.

The Roanoke Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into Mario's death. Detectives began the work of processing the scene, speaking to potential witnesses, and trying to determine the sequence of events that led to the fatal gunshots. The initial news reports confirmed the tragic outcome but offered little information on the circumstances or a possible motive behind the violence.

In the days and weeks that followed, authorities released Mario’s name to the public, but further details about the investigation remained scarce. Police have not publicly identified any persons of interest or suspects in the case, and no arrests have been announced. The case is one of many that challenge law enforcement and leave families waiting for answers and a sense of justice.

As of late 2021, the investigation into the homicide of Mario Green remains open and active. Detectives continue their efforts to find out what happened inside the Hanover Avenue home that night. The Roanoke Police Department has asked that anyone with information about the shooting come forward to help them solve the case. Anonymous tips can be submitted by phone to (540) 344-8500 or by text to 274637, with the message beginning with "RoanokePD" to ensure it is routed correctly. His family and friends are left to grieve, remembering the man who loved everybody while they wait for a resolution.