Police say Daequan Brown fired toward people fleeing a crowded parking lot, killing 14-year-old Zah’nia Barr.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A 26-year-old Rochester man has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 14-year-old Zah’nia Barr, nearly two months after police say gunfire erupted among hundreds of people gathered near North Clinton Avenue.
Daequan Brown was arrested Sept. 30 after Rochester police officers located him near Central Park, authorities said. Police said Brown ran when officers approached and was taken into custody after a foot pursuit. He also faces a charge of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The charges stem from the early morning hours of Aug. 1, when several hundred people had gathered on and around North Clinton Avenue. Police had been working to disperse crowds near Upper Falls Boulevard when gunfire broke out at about 12:30 a.m. Investigators have said at least two people fired shots during the disturbance.
According to police and the criminal complaint, Brown was running through a parking lot when he allegedly fired a .380-caliber handgun in the direction of people who were fleeing. One of the bullets struck Barr. Officers found the teenager on Morrill Street, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators have said they do not believe she was the intended target.
Brown also was wounded that night, police said. A short time after the shooting, he arrived by private vehicle at Rochester General Hospital with a gunshot wound to his ankle. He was treated and later released. Police have not publicly said who shot Brown or whether his injury came from the same exchange of gunfire that killed Barr.
Major Crimes homicide detectives continued investigating the shooting through August and September before announcing Brown’s arrest. Authorities have not publicly identified every person believed to have fired a weapon that night, and police have said more than one shooter was involved in the gunfire around the crowd.
The weapon charge against Brown is based in part on his status as a person prohibited from legally possessing a handgun in New York because of two prior felony convictions, according to police. The new charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system before any determination of guilt.
Barr’s death drew grief from relatives and others who knew the teenager. Family friend Darryl Nicholson said shortly after the shooting that he had watched Barr grow up and described her as a sweet person. Barr was a student at Dr. Freddie Thomas Middle School and had participated in activities at the David Gantt R-Center, according to local reporting at the time.
Brown was expected to return to Rochester City Court on Oct. 6. Police have not announced an arrest of another alleged shooter in connection with Barr’s death, leaving parts of the Aug. 1 gunfire under investigation.
Author note: Last updated October 2, 2026.