GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A street in Grand Rapids will not bear the name of Amillier Penn, a teenage victim of gun violence who lost his life more than a year ago.
On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids City Commission turned down the resolution to approve a commemorative designation for Umatilla Street, between Madison and Union Avenues, where Penn was fatally shot.
During the afternoon meeting, no one on the commission made a motion to vote on the matter, meaning no one intended to vote in its favor.
Earlier in the day, the Grand Rapids Community Development Committee turned down the resolution in a similar fashion.
"We as a city, as a community, need better ways to honor and memorialize the lives we've lost, particularly those we've lost so tragically and so young," said Third Ward Commissioner Kelsey Perdue, who serves on both the city commission and community development committee.
Perdue mentioned prior feedback from those living on Umatilla Street as reason for the city's decision.
In a public hearing last month, a number of longtime residents told commissioners they didn't want the signage on their street, which would not change their mailing addresses, but rather be marked by a differently colored street sign.
"You guys are going to open up a can of worms you can’t close," said one resident during the public hearing. "If you keep naming different streets after kids who pass, that is not fair to start if you’re not going to finish."
"We don’t need a sign to validate violence," said another. "You name the crime, we’ve seen it. We don’t want to remember that.”
Grand Rapids
Those who live on Umatilla Street say it shouldn't be named after Amillier Penn
On June 2, 2024, Amillier Penn was fatally shot on Umatilla Street, located in a southeast Grand Rapids neighborhood. The murder case went without an arrest for nearly a year until Grand Rapids police charged 17-year-old Cartiyae Pascal in the incident, arraigning him as an adult. Notably, the department received a number of tips about the shooting after its investigation was featured in an episode of All Access PD: Grand Rapids.
READ MORE: The case against Cartiyae Pascal moves closer to trial
"I’ll do anything in the world for my kids," said Corey Penn, who attended Tuesday's commission meeting.
Penn said he plans to "appeal" the commission's decision and claims there is community support for the commemorative signage.
"I just keep trying to figure out different types of ways to honor Milli and get his story spread," Penn said.
Rather than a commemorative street signage, a number of city officials suggested Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand designate each June as Gun Violence Awareness Month.
"[We] want to have more conversations about how we can do that in the way that fully and truly resonates with people," Perdue said.
