8 Unarmed Black Males Other Than Trayvon Martin Who Were Recently Killed

Kimani Gray

On his way home from a birthday party, 16-year-old Kimani Gray was shot to death by two plainclothes officers in Brooklyn, N.Y. , on March 9, 2013.

The men responsible for his death, police Sgt. Mourad Mourad and Officer Jovaniel Cordova, claim that Gray was armed and drew a .38 caliber pistol. During the initial crime-scene investigation, no weapon was found at the scene or on Gray’s body. In addition, close friends and family members of the teen have said that he was not known to ever carry a gun.

Sergeant Mourad and Officer Jovaniel Cordova are presently on paid administrative leave while the NYPD continues to investigate this case.

Independent journalism doesn't fund itself.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top