Aniya Allen, 6, was shot in the head while she was in a vehicle in north Minneapolis on May 17, 2021. (Family)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The six-year-old girl who was shot in the head while riding home in the car with her mother late Monday night has died, according to Minneapolis police.
The shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on the 3500 block of Penn Avenue North. The child, Aniya Allen, was eating McDonald’s in the backseat on their way home from a day at the lake when the car was struck by gunfire, said Aniya’s mother, Antrice Sease. She drove her daughter straight to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
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Vigil held for 6-year-old killed in Minneapolis shooting
A prayer vigil was held in north Minneapolis in honor of the six-year-old girl, Aniya Allen, who died after she was shot in a vehicle late Monday night.
Aniya is also the granddaughter of longtime community activist KG Wilson.
A man was also injured by gunfire in the same incident, and he was taken to North Memorial Medical Center by private vehicle.
Aniya was the third child shot in the head in Minneapolis in recent weeks. The two other victims, 10-year-old Ladavionne Garrett Jr. and 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith, remain hospitalized.
Wednesday night, a crowd gathered at 36th and Penn Avenue in Minneapolis to honor Aniya's life while calling for change to ensure another young life isn't harmed.
"My baby girl is gone right now," said Aniya's mother Andrice Sease. "I watched her take her last breath. Okay. She fought so hard. So hard."
"Right now, you are training our young people to be the future leaders in your positions," said Aniya's grandfather and local activist Kay G. Wilson. "That’s why there should be outrage and outcry when something happens to one of our babies."
As members of the crowd called for change. Mayor Jacob Frey, who is under extreme pressure to act, spoke to the crowd.
"It doesn’t need to be this way," said Mayor Frey. "We can have peace and safety in our communities. We can push back on this needless and unnecessary gun violence. They don’t have their lives cut short anymore."
The Minneapolis Police Department strongly encourages anyone with information on Monday’s now deadly shooting come forward. They can call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip electronically at CrimeStoppersMN.org. All tips are anonymous and persons providing information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.