LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Saturday marks the anniversary for the death of Bradley Blackshire.
“Bradley had such a beautiful spirit, he loved children,” Blackshire said.
A mother describing who her son was after he was shot and killed one year ago.
“I just don’t want my son’s death to be in vein I just want it to be,” Blackshire said. “I want him to be remembered as the person he really was.”
He was shot and killed by a police officer in Little Rock, that officer has been cleared.
Despite time passing by family members and friends say it still doesn’t feel real that they lost Blackshire. Now that he’s gone, they are going to do whatever they can to celebrate his life.
Family and friends came together in the same spot he was killed, All Pro Barber on 12th and Kanis Street in Little Rock.
“Bradley was more than just a black male, he was a father, he was a brother he was a life partner to many people, he was a friend,” family friend Malik Saafir said.
Ballons fly high with hopes of the wind carrying on Blackshire’s legacy. After the balloon release the family hugged and briefly shared memories about Blackshire.
“I have 24 grandchildren and five of those are Bradley’s children and I want them to have a legacy of their father,” Blackshire said.
The family said the pain is still very real.
“Kids look forward to Bradley just at any family function or anything,” Blackshire said.
But as time passes, they’ve shifted their focus.
“Take time out to say thank you, thank you for continuing to do the work that Bradley started as a community person himself and a youth leader,” Saafir said.
The family hopes they can turn their tragedy into impact. The family has created the Blackshire Foundation Scholarship. Saturday a special dinner was hosted to raise money for the fund.
The scholarship in honor of Blackshire will become an annual thing according to the family. For more information on that click here.
