At just 16 years old, Quincy Reese Jr., a promising scholar-athlete at Crenshaw High School, had an entire future ahead of him, filled with big dreams and ambitions – until his life was taken.
On the night of June 10, chaos erupted on Western Avenue in South Los Angeles following a birthday party. “Yes, we don’t have any indication he was involved in any of this. He was just fleeing the location for his own safety,” said Detective Blake Putnins from the Los Angeles Police Department's South Bureau Homicide Division.
A single gunshot ended Quincy's hopeful journey, leaving him collapsed on the grass. Now, his family grapples with the devastation of losing a young man with immense potential.
“[He was a] 3.4 GPA student, about to be the captain of his basketball team,” said Quincy’s father, Quincy Reese Sr.
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Despite the presence of hundreds of witnesses, few have come forward with information. Homicide investigators are keen on a dark Hyundai Tucson captured on surveillance footage, believing it holds crucial details about the tragic event.
“It’s always the least kid you’d expect. He is not a kid that set himself up to be a victim of the environment, but even still, that’s how random it is around here,” said Jahan Epps, Quincy’s former basketball coach.
Quincy's family, desperate for closure, has joined hands with Hoop Justice, a nonprofit organization, and initiated an annual basketball tournament in Quincy's honor to prompt community engagement and dialogue.
With a $50,000 reward offered for any information leading to the perpetrator's arrest, Quincy's family and the community are urging witnesses to step forward and bring closure to this heart-wrenching chapter.
“Somebody has to know something, and nobody’s talking. But somebody needs to talk,” said Quincey’s mother.
