Jaylan M. Saunders
Age 16
Montgomery, Alabama
Hundreds marched in Montgomery for peace
They marched without him, from the Common Ground Montgomery, where he was a member of the youth ministry, to his home on the corner of Hill and Dillard streets in Montgomery, Alabama.
He was a student of the inaugural class at Valiant Cross in 2015, an academy focused on developing the character of young African-American boys through academic and leadership training. He “had the hugest heart,” the founder and leader of Valiant Cross remembered.
On Jan. 24, 2019, Jaylan M. Saunders, 16, was asleep in his bedroom at his home when he was fatally shot through the window. A week later, the youth group marched for peace in his name.
