FORESTVILLE, Md. — 13-year-old King Douglas was shot and killed in the Richie Station Marketplace parking lot three years ago. Saturday, Prince George’s County officials honored the young man by naming a street after him near the spot Douglas lost his life.
“To know that my son’s legacy is living on, to know that my son has his own street, his own day dedicated to him is amazing," said Douglas' mother Ja'Ka McKnight.
In April 2021, a 12-year-old boy shot and killed Douglas.
“Living on a day-to-day basis, waking up without one child and just knowing how my son passed was bad. It’s just the worst to know that I created, I gave him life and someone else took his life.," said McKnight. "It’s heavy, but the love and support from family and friends make it bearable.”
Those family and friends came together Saturday, to honor a life cut short. Prince George's County officials, including Police Chief Malik Aziz came to show support.
“His memory will never be extinguished. Instead, it will be held in a distinguished honor," said Aziz. “Not too far from this location where we’re standing, an atrocity happened of gun violence. A tragedy happened for a family, but an atrocity happened, and an atrocity is something we can do something about.”
Protecting kids and preventing future tragedies.
“This event is for the living and the action behind that is for you to do something. Pull up another child so that this doesn’t happen again," said Euniesha Davis, the Director of Office of Community Relations with Prince George's County.
McKnight has to live with her son’s loss every day, but this day, she knows her son made a difference.
“I’m proud and I think he’s proud of me too," said McKnight.
"People will give directions and say it’s King Douglas Way, people will put on a letter head for an address or mailing address and they will say this is King Douglas Way," said Aziz. "A street sign is a symbol, and it is a symbol of all of the good things to come forth in the future."
Representatives from the county’s gun violence reduction team, as well as mental health and crisis intervention professionals were also in attendance at Saturday's event.