Police are searching for a suspect after 17-year-old Amari Clarke was stabbed in Hillcrest Heights.
HILLCREST HEIGHTS, Md. — A 17-year-old Suitland High School senior was stabbed to death Friday near his Prince George’s County home, leaving police searching for a suspect and a motive days before the student was set to graduate.
Police identified the teen as Amari Clarke, whose family said he was weeks away from receiving his diploma June 1. The killing has shaken relatives and neighbors at Marlow Towers Condominiums on St. Barnabas Road, where officers found Clarke behind a building after a report of a cutting.
Officers were called to the 3800 block of St. Barnabas Road about 12:25 p.m. Friday and found Clarke outside with a stab wound. Emergency crews took him to a hospital, where he died a short time later. Prince George’s County police said detectives were still working to identify who attacked him and why. Clarke’s family said he was stabbed in a courtyard near his home and that the attacker took his phone and shoes before running away.
Relatives described Clarke as a kind teenager who liked video games and basketball. They said he had plans after graduation to attend trade school and train to become an elevator technician. His stepfather said the family was devastated by the killing. “I lost a 17-year-old,” he said. “That shouldn’t happen to no 17-year-old.” His grandmother called him the “sweetest boy you’ve ever seen” and said he had a kind heart.
A witness told reporters she saw a person attacking Clarke while he was on the ground. Police had not released a suspect description by Friday night, though the witness said she believed the attacker was an adult man wearing a yellow shirt. Investigators had not said whether Clarke knew the person who stabbed him or whether the robbery reported by relatives was part of the motive.
The killing happened in a busy apartment and condominium area near Temple Hills and Hillcrest Heights, along a corridor with homes, parking lots and businesses. Police said Clarke was found behind a building, a detail that left neighbors asking how the attack unfolded in the middle of the day. No arrest had been announced, and detectives were reviewing the case as a homicide.
Prince George’s County police said they were seeking information from anyone who saw the attack or has details about the person who fled. The case remains in its early stages, with no charges filed and no public timeline for when police may release more information. Investigators were expected to continue canvassing the area and checking for witnesses and video from nearby buildings.
As of Saturday, police had not announced an arrest. Clarke’s family was preparing to mourn a teenager they expected to see graduate in less than a month.
Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.