BUFFALO, N.Y. — It has been over a year since 3-year-old Shaquelle Walker, Jr.’s life was tragically taken by gun violence, but his community is determined to keep his memory alive.
“This is just the beginning of something, some change that’s going to happen. We just can’t allow a three-year-old who dies to senseless violence to just be forgotten as just another statistic,” said John V. Elmore, Esq., organizer and sponsor of “It’s a Family Affair," an idea he formed in partnership with nonviolence organization Most Valuable Parents.
The event was designed to bring the community closer, to heal and mobilize together. Local businesses contributed to giveaways and activities at the family-friendly event, like free children's haircuts provided by Urban Cuts Barbershop as well as free clothes and tablets for residents.
On a larger scale, Elmore and MVP have been working with law enforcement officials on gun interdiction strategies, as well as targeting firearm manufacturers. The collaboration of a village, they say, is as essential to protecting a child as it to raising one.
“In order to build a community, we have to start with the family first and so we wanted to honor the family, the little man that was murdered, and we just wanted to bring everybody together; create unity in the community," said Linda Henderson, Most Valuable Parents member and coordinator.
"The stronger the community is, the more together the community is, the safer the community is,” said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
Buffalo Police Deputy Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia and Buffalo Police officers attended the event both to give residents security and to form relationships with community members of Ferry Grider Homes.
Putting power back in the hands of the healing neighborhood is an idea driving potential decisions from Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority that could help better secure its residents.
“One of my goals is to possibly start a community company that the residents own themselves and they patrol their own neighborhoods, that’s one of my options. Self-sufficiency is number one in my priorities, to help residents start their own businesses to become self-sufficient and try to get them to contract with the housing authority because we have a lot of contracts. That’s one of my goals,” said Renato Graham, Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority commissioner.
He also said BMHA is in talks to honor Shaquelle Walker, Jr. in some way, possibly by naming a court in the Ferry Grider Homes after him where his family lives.
As healing continues throughout Ferry Grider Homes, efforts to unite its residents are stronger than ever to honor the memory of a life lost too soon.
“We won’t separate because of gun violence," Henderson said. "That is something that will bring us together. We will get over the hump together and hopefully build hope where hope has been lost and just let the community know that we love them and we care about them and we are here and we’re not going nowhere; Buffalo Strong.”