Joseph Holtz

Joseph “Joey” Holtz, known to friends and family as Joey or Rozay, was a 38-year-old father from Suitland, Maryland. Those who knew him remember a man whose presence was unmistakable—a booming voice, a ready laugh, and a kind of boundless energy that drew people close. Joey worked as a barber, a trade mentioned by his family while asking the community for help after his death; his work and daily presence in the neighborhood connected him to many lives.

He was a proud father of two sons, Jaylin and Joe’L, and family accounts describe him as fiercely protective and devoted to their wellbeing. According to his brother and other relatives, Joey had asked for a memorable, celebratory sendoff for family and friends—what he called a "lit" service—and he cared deeply that his boys would be taken care of. To honor those wishes, his family launched a public fundraiser to support funeral arrangements and to provide for his children.

Beyond the roles of worker and parent, public remembrances emphasize Joey’s warmth and humor: someone who brought laughter and debate into a room, who made his voice and presence known, and who sought to protect the people around him. Those personal details—his nicknames, his trade, and his devotion to his sons—are what remain in community and family accounts and form the heart of how he is being remembered.

Joseph’s life was cut short on October 26, 2024, after a late-night collision in the Morningside area of Prince George’s County that was followed by gunfire; he was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. Law enforcement statements indicate the investigation into the events that night has continued since. While the circumstances of his death are part of the public record, family remembrances and the fundraiser emphasize his life first: a working father who loved his children, a barber who knew his neighbors, and a man whose laugh and energy left an impression on those around him.

Information available in public sources is limited to what family statements and law-enforcement releases have provided. This remembrance focuses on the human details verified in those accounts—his name, his age, his place in the community, the sons he loved, and the qualities his family chose to highlight—rather than on speculation or unverified personal details. Joey’s memory lives in the stories his family and friends share: a warm, vocal presence who cared deeply for his sons and for the people fortunate enough to know him.