'He was a king:' Grieving Minneapolis mother decries violence following son's Memorial Day slaying

A grieving mother bowed her head as she described the vibrant spirit of her only son, an eighth-grader whose dreams were cut short in a Memorial Day shooting on Minneapolis' North Side.

"He was a great blessing in my life," Frances Davis told reporters during a news conference Wednesday evening at Shiloh Temple International Ministries. "My son was left in an alley for the garbage. My son was not trash. I need y'all to know my son had a beautiful smile. He was a king. He loved education and he loved life."

Relatives gathered at the church to denounce the city's latest act of gun violence and remember 14-year-old Alan Jermaine Davis — a talented athlete who loved to run and play basketball. Family members are now grappling to understand why anyone would want to extinguish the promising future of such a young boy.

Police officers responded to a shots-fired call Monday around 5:30 p.m. in an alley in the 3700 block of Bryant Avenue N., where they found Alan suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale, where he later died.

A neighbor later told the family that they saw Alan walking down the street with two males who shot him and ran away.

The tragedy comes just three months after Alan's mother removed him from Olson Middle School where, she says, he endured months of bullying by peers. He began attending school online, but still communicated with many of his former classmates. On Monday, relatives say he was lured out of his home with a Snapchat message by teens purporting to be his friends.

There was a rumor circulating that Alan had snitched on another boy in the community and teenagers confronted him about it, according to text messages shared with reporters. He denied the allegation in those exchanges.

"He wasn't talking on anyone," his mother insisted. "There's no reason I should be making funeral arrangements. He was supposed to bury me."

Relatives recalled seeing a rap video circulating on social media in the aftermath of the murder where kids appear to be referencing Alan's death, saying "one down, one to go."

Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the alleged motive in this case or answer questions about the ongoing investigation. As of Wednesday evening, no arrests had been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or crimestoppersmn.org.

As they wiped tears, Alan's family members decried the proliferation of guns among the city's youth and lamented the lack of services to keep wayward teens out of trouble.

"No matter who we cry out to for help, we have no programs. We have nothing for our youth to go to," said Erie Brown, Alan's great aunt. "There's no help."

Frank Davis recalled the last conversations he had with his grandson, when Alan professed a desire to drive a cab one day like his "Pop Pops." Frank Davis broke down as he described his wish that he could take Alan's place.

"I've lived a long life. Alan lived a short life. If I could ask God to take me, because Alan never did nothing wrong," he said, weeping. Frank Davis also asked that people consider donating to the family's online fundraiser to help raise enough for a proper burial.

But more than anything, the family wants closure — and accountability. They pleaded with the shooters directly to turn themselves in.

"Come forward. Please," begged Alan's older sister, Alicia Davis. "I can't live without knowing the truth."