GALLERY: Memorial Walk for Victims of Beatties Ford Road Shooting

Community members gather on Beatties Ford Road to honor Juneteenth shooting victims

Justin LaFrancois June 23, 2021

1 minute read

Nearly 200 community members gathered on Beatties Ford Road on Tuesday to memorialize four people killed during Juneteenth celebrations there in 2020. In recognition of the tragic event’s one-year anniversary, about 75 mourners walked from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church to meet about 100 others at the site of the shooting, where family members and loved ones placed flowers and other mementos at four roadside memorials.

After a four-minute moment of silence, Mayor Vi Lyles made a few remarks before people returned to Friendship Missionary. The event was organized by Million Youth March of Charlotte & Salisbury. Drills of Hope Marching Thunder, a drum and dance organization for at-risk youth, played the memorial walkers into and out of the gathering.

Shootings occurred on Saturday and Sunday evening of last year’s celebrations, though no one was injured on Saturday. The Sunday shootings, during which more than 100 rounds were fired, took the lives of Kelly Miller, 29; Christopher Gleaton, 28; Jamaa Cassell, 39; and Dairyon Stevenson, 31.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not filed any charges or made any arrests for the murders. There is currently a $17,300 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in the case.

A livestream video of the memorial walk is available on Queen City Nerve’s Facebook page and a gallery by Grant Baldwin, who documented the walk for us, is below.

Images of the Beatties Ford Road memorial walk

Beatties Shooting_1 — Mario Black of Million Youth March of Charlotte & Salisbury speaks at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church before leading a memorial walk to the site of a mass shooting on Beatties Ford Road during Juneteenth celebrations in 2020.

Beatties Shooting_2 — Dr. Clifford A. Jones, senior pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church leads attendees in a prayer before the group marched silently to the site of a mass shooting on Beatties Ford Road during Juneteenth celebrations in 2020.

Beatties Shooting_3 — Attendee of a silent march holds san image of one of the victims during a prayer at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.

Beatties Shooting_4 — Community members march silently from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church to the site of a mass shooting on Beattes Ford Road during Juneteenth celebrations in 2020.

Beatties Shooting_5 — Mario Black of Million Youth March of Charlotte & Salisbury (left) and Kass Ottley, founder and executive director at Seeking Justice Charlotte participate in the silent march.

Beatties Shooting_6 — Community members march silently down Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_7 — Community members march silently down Beatties Ford Road, passing the Burger King where Danquirs Franklin was shot and killed by CMPD officers in March of 2019.

Beatties Shooting_8 — Community members walk past United House of Prayer For All on Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_9 — Mourners hold images of a victim of the shooting on Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_10 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder participate in a march on Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_11 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder participate in a march on Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_12 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder participate in a march on Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_13 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder participate in a march on Beatties Ford Road.

Beatties Shooting_14 — Mario Black comforts a family member of Dairyon Stevenson before a four-minute moment of silence.

Beatties Shooting_15 — Mario Black speaks before a moment of silence.

Beatties Shooting_16 — Community members participate in a moment of silence for the four victims.

Beatties Shooting_17 — Family members look on at a roadside memorial during a moment of silence.

Beatties Shooting_18 — Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles joins community members for a moment of silence.

Beatties Shooting_19 — Mario Black speaks after a moment of silence.

Beatties Shooting_20 — Mario Black (right) and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles speak after a four-minute moment of silence.

Beatties Shooting_21 — Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles (center) speaks to the crowd before people begin to walk back to Friendship Missionary.

Beatties Shooting_22 — Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles interacts with community members.

Beatties Shooting_23 — Members of The New Black Panther Party participate in the memorial walk.

Beatties Shooting_24 — Members of The New Black Panther Party participate in the memorial walk.

Beatties Shooting_25 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder play the marches out as they head back to Friendship Missionary

Beatties Shooting_26 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder play the marches out as they head back to Friendship Missionary.

Beatties Shooting_27 — Drills Of Hope / Marching Thunder play the marches out as they head back to Friendship Missionary.

Beatties Shooting_28 — Attendee of a silent march cleans up and fixes the memorial of victim Christopher Gleaton.

Beatties Shooting_29 — Belton Lamont Platt (formerly known as Money Rock) attends the memorial walk.

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