Black People Lynched In Recent Years: 10 Deaths That Shook The Nation

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In recent years, a disturbing pattern of Black people being lynched in public places has raised concerns across the nation. While authorities have largely ruled these deaths as suicides, families, activists, and communities are questioning whether there is something more sinister at play.

Is this a tragic coincidence, or is a darker force behind these heartbreaking deaths? 

Demartravion “Trey” Reed

Source: Alexis Reed / Alexis Reed

The death of Demartravion “Trey” Reed has brought attention to a growing issue in recent weeks. On Sept. 15, the body of 21-year-old Reed was discovered hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Reed, a student at the university, was found near the pickleball courts just after 7 a.m., according to investigators. His death has raised serious questions due to the nature of the discovery and reports that Reed had broken legs and other injuries that would have made it physically impossible for him to hang himself, the Clarion Ledger noted.

University police have stated that there is no evidence of foul play, and the Bolivar County Coroner’s Office confirmed no signs of physical assault. However, Reed’s family has expressed deep concern over the circumstances surrounding his death. 

“The family does not know exactly what happened on September 15th of 2025,” attorney Vanessa Jones said as previously reported. “We are seeking answers.” 

The legal expert also criticized authorities for what she called “a possible constitutional violation of releasing Trey’s name to the media immediately” after his body was found. She also noted that “a lot of the questions we have…should be quite easy to answer, because if this young man was on the campus of Delta State University with all of these cameras…there should be surveillance of all of his actions.”

In addition to Jones, civil rights attorney Ben Crump has also been retained by Reed’s family, demanding a thorough and independent investigation into what happened. Crump voiced his support for Reed’s loved ones as they strive to find out what happened. 

“Trey Reed was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him,” the civil rights attorney wrote in part. “His family and the campus community deserve a full, independent investigation to uncover the truth about what happened.”

Reed’s death is tragically part of a disturbing trend. Several other Black people have died under similar suspicious circumstances in recent years, and their deaths, many of which were ruled suicides, continue to spark outcry and demand for transparency.

Let’s examine a list of Black people who have been lynched in recent years.