Mother of man killed in ‘random’ shooting asks public to help solve case
Maria Levi stood in the gas station parking lot where her son was shot and killed less than a month ago, and pleaded for anyone with information about his death to come forward.
“I just need help trying to solve this case, because he didn’t deserve what he got,” the 48-year-old told reporters Wednesday morning during a news conference outside a central valley Circle K gas station, at 420 S. Valley View Blvd.
Levi’s son, 24-year-old Kashif Brown, had pulled into the gas station on his way to his landscaping job at about 3:30 a.m. March 22, Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said. After making a purchase inside, and heading out to his vehicle, a man pulled up to Brown and shot him during what investigators believe was a random attempted robbery.
Metro on Wednesday released additional surveillance footage of the shooting and the shooter’s car — a gray Chrysler 300 model from about 2015, Spencer said. Police are also hoping to identify a woman who was in the passenger seat of the Chrysler.
Shortly after the killing, Metro asked the public’s help to identify the shooter. On Wednesday, Spencer said surveillance footage did not capture the car’s license plate.
“I know for a fact that there’s somebody out in the community that has the information that will bring closure to this family,” Spencer said.
The unidentified man and woman were in the parking lot for about 10 minutes before the shooting. Investigators believe they were “casing” the convenience store and people pulling up to gas pumps, Spencer said.
Levi said her son had a “good soul” and was dedicated to his partner, Jenifer Torres, and their three young daughters. Brown’s sister, Kyran Savage, previously told the Review-Journal that her brother dreamed of starting his own business to support his family.
“His girl’s will never get to grow up with their dad,” Levi said Wednesday. “He was always there.”
Levi put her head in her hands and cried, explaining that she planned to pick up Brown’s ashes later Wednesday afternoon.
“Why did you take my son?” she said after the news conference. “Why did you take my granddaughter’s father from them? Why did you do it? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Jessica Cruz, Jenifer Torres’ sister, said her nieces don’t understand that their father isn’t coming home. She’s angry with the shooter, especially when she thinks about all the plans Brown had with his daughters, Cruz said.
“I feel angry — like what do people think? Do they just wake up and be like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go ahead and kill somebody?’” she said.
Spencer said random shootings, in which the victim did not know the suspected killer, are much harder to solve. Investigators are always looking for a “link,” he said.
“Here, it’s a complete random incident, so there is no link,” he said.
Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Metro’s homicide section at 702-828-3521. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
