GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The first Friday in October, a sunny one, was Amillier Penn's birthday. The Grand Rapids teenager would have been 16.
More than four months ago, Penn was murdered in a shooting while playing football with his friends near Umatilla Street in southeast Grand Rapids.
As of today, Grand Rapids police have not arrested or named a suspect.
"We need to support our children," said GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom, addressing Penn's family and other community members on Saturday. "We need to make sure they see hope for the future, and that no part of that future contains any part of gun violence."
At Rosa Parks Circle, Winstrom and his department walked alongside those who've lost loved ones to gun violence as part of the fifth annual Stop the Hate, Stop the Violence Unity Walk.
"Important that our children see a community coming together, adults coming together," said Corey Penn, Amillier's father.
READ MORE: No charges, but hope remains: Amillier's father works to honor son's legacy
Photographs of Amillier and other victims of gun violence covered Rosa Parks Circle. Several addressed the crowd, including Penn and Marcus Smith, Amillier's stepfather.
"Tell him wash the dishes, he going to wash the dishes," said Smith, remembering the teen who loved sports and gaming. "We want justice for Amillier. We really do want justice."
During the walk, a number of people marched past the police department, chanting and holding signs.
"We should have 200 percent accountability, 100 for ourselves and 100 for others around us," said Samika Douglas, an organizer, also adding that GRPD has "good officers."
"If the whole city turned out for this, we'd have mass layoffs at the police department," Chief Winstrom added. "Because we wouldn't need so many police."
Silent Observer is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Amillier's killer, and anyone can submit information anonymously.
If you have information regarding Amillier’s murder, you can reach out to the Grand Rapids Police at (616) 456-3400 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.
