Amari Clarke, 17, died after being found wounded behind a building on St. Barnabas Road.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Amari Clarke, a Suitland High School senior who was found wounded Friday behind a building near his home on St. Barnabas Road.
The attack happened shortly after noon at Marlow Towers Condominiums in Hillcrest Heights. Clarke was taken to a hospital and later died. His death came less than a month before his scheduled June 1 graduation and left his family calling for the person responsible to be found and prosecuted.
Prince George’s County police said officers responded about 12:25 p.m. to the 3800 block of St. Barnabas Road for a report of a cutting. When officers arrived, they found a teenage boy outside suffering from a stab wound. Police later identified him as Clarke. Detectives had not announced an arrest Friday night and said they were still working to learn what led to the stabbing.
Family members said Clarke was attacked in a courtyard near his home. They said the person who stabbed him also took his phone and shoes before running from the scene. Police had not confirmed a robbery charge or released a formal motive. A witness said she saw someone attacking the teen while he was on the ground and believed the person was an adult man wearing a yellow shirt.
Clarke’s relatives said he was a senior at Suitland High School and had planned to enter a trade school after graduation to train as an elevator technician. They remembered him as a gentle teen who enjoyed basketball and video games. “At the end of the day, whoever did this, they need to be brought to justice,” his stepfather said. His grandmother said Clarke had “a kind heart.”
The stabbing brought a large police response to a residential stretch of St. Barnabas Road near Temple Hills. Investigators focused on the area behind the building and nearby courtyard, where relatives said the attack took place. Police did not say whether a weapon had been recovered. They also did not say whether surveillance cameras in the area captured the stabbing or the person who fled afterward.
The case is being handled as a homicide investigation. Detectives were expected to interview witnesses, review video and gather evidence from the scene. No court hearings or charging documents had been filed because no suspect had been named. Police said they were asking anyone with information to contact the Prince George’s County Police Department.
By Saturday, Clarke’s family was mourning a student who had been planning his next steps after high school. Police said the search for the person who killed him remained active.
Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.