Andrew Omar Allen
Age 18
Baltimore, Maryland
Residents tried to improve the community
To prevent crime in Baltimore, Maryland, officials introduced “Violence Reduction Zones” in April 2018. Neighborhood coordination officers stationed themselves in the city’s most crime-ridden zones, tasked with cleaning up garbage and painting houses.
The Belair-Edison neighborhood didn’t make the cut as a “Violence Reduction Zone,” but as trash issues and violence became severe, community members took matters into their own hands. One resident, Ty Johnson, encouraged his community to engage with each other by cleaning up, brainstorming event ideas and utilizing services.
It was on these streets that Andrew Omar Allen, 18, was shot on Cardenas Avenue on Oct. 3, 2018.
