Zah’nia Barr was killed during a crowded North Clinton Avenue gathering that became part of a broader debate over summer violence.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The arrest of a man accused of killing 14-year-old Zah’nia Barr has brought renewed attention to the crowded street gatherings Rochester officials were struggling to manage when two people were killed during a violent August weekend.
Police charged Daequan Brown, 26, with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in Barr’s death. Authorities say he fired toward people fleeing a parking lot near North Clinton Avenue early Aug. 1. Barr, whom investigators do not believe was an intended target, was struck by a bullet and died at the scene.
Several hundred people had gathered on and around North Clinton Avenue that night, according to police. Officers were already in the area as part of an operation to disperse crowds when shots were fired at about 12:30 a.m. Investigators said at least two people fired weapons during the disturbance.
The shooting became one of the most serious episodes in Rochester’s summer struggle with large, informal street gatherings. In the days after Barr’s death, city officials and residents debated how authorities should respond to events that can draw hundreds of people into streets, vacant lots and commercial areas with little advance notice.
City crews later installed concrete barriers along part of Clinton Avenue as officials prepared the area for a memorial gathering honoring Barr. The move was among the visible changes made after the shooting as the city considered ways to limit vehicle access and reduce the risks surrounding large gatherings.
About a day after Barr was killed, another deadly shooting occurred during a separate gathering in northeast Rochester. Police said 34-year-old Shakara Green was killed when someone fired into a crowd near Clifford Avenue and North Street. Investigators also believed Green was not the intended target. The two killings intensified public concern about gunfire at large neighborhood gatherings.
Barr’s death had an especially deep impact on people who knew the teenager. Darryl Nicholson, a family friend who said he had watched her grow up, publicly pleaded for information after the shooting. Barr attended Dr. Freddie Thomas Middle School and was active at the David Gantt R-Center on North Street, according to reports published after her death.
The investigation into Barr’s killing continued for nearly two months. Police said Brown was found near Central Park on Sept. 30 and ran when officers approached. He was arrested after a foot pursuit. According to the criminal complaint, Brown allegedly fired a .380-caliber handgun toward people running from the parking lot, and investigators say one of those shots killed Barr.
Police said Brown himself arrived at Rochester General Hospital shortly after the Aug. 1 shooting with a gunshot wound to his ankle. He was treated and released. Authorities have not publicly identified who shot him. Police also have not announced that every person who fired a weapon during the North Clinton Avenue gathering has been identified or charged.
Brown is scheduled to return to Rochester City Court on Oct. 6. His charges remain allegations as the criminal case moves forward, while questions surrounding the other gunfire that night and the city’s response to large street gatherings remain part of the broader aftermath of Barr’s death.
Author note: Last updated October 2, 2026.