Six-year-old shooting victim succumbs to her injuries

- by MSR News Online
Aniya Allen
Courtesy of the Allen Family

Aniya Allen, the six-year-old who was shot in the head Monday night passed away this morning at Hennepin County Medical Center. Allen was on the way home from McDonald’s near 36th and Penn Avenues North when the car she was riding in was caught in the crossfire of a shootout around 11 pm.

Allen was one of three children who had been shot in North Minneapolis over a span of just a few weeks.  On April 30, 10-year-old Ladavionne Garrett, Jr. was shot in the head while riding in a car with his parents, and Saturday, 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith was also shot in the head as she played on a trampoline in front of her house. Garrett, Jr., and Ottoson-Smith are still recovering at North Memorial Hospital. No arrests have been made in the shootings, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.

A community prayer vigil has been held for the children every day since Monday outside of North Memorial. A vigil for Allen will be held tonight at 6 pm on 36th & Penn Avenues.

Courtesy of the families of Ladavionne Garrett, Jr. and Trinity Ottoson-Smith (l-r) Ladavionne-Garrett-Jr., Trinity Ottoson-Smith are still recovering from gunshot wounds

K.G. Wilson, a longtime peace activist, and grandfather to Allen spoke at a press conference Tuesday in North Minneapolis demanding that people turn in the perpetrators, and expressed his frustration about the lack of answers for the shootings.

“We are speaking directly to you and anybody who knows something or knows something about it–we’re coming for you too,” said Wilson. “I am not going to stop till I get justice. We don’t know who is doing the shooting or if it’s the same person. 

“This family wants justice and the other two families want justice,” said Wilson. “If you don’t do it, yours could be next. We just got to get these violent people off the streets, the people doing this criminal behavior, and the shooters off the street.”

“What part of the game is this,” asked Pastor Brian Herron of Zion Baptist Church. “Since when do we shoot women? Since when do we shoot babies? It’s time that we forgive and settle conflicts. We need healing. There are too many hurt folks out here. And hurt people hurt people, too many [people] in pain.

“If you perpetrate a crime, if you kill or shoot somebody, you need to be turned in. You have to pay the consequences for what you do,” said Herron.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover Aniya Allen’s medical expenses and funeral.