BALTIMORE — A few hundred feet from where he was shot and killed, Deanta Dorsey’s family gathered.
The family’s attorney, Thiru Vignarajah, said they were too distraught to speak publicly, though Dorsey’s aunt gave a few words.
“Today I'd like to say thank you for all the prayers, for all the encouraging words that have been sent out to our family," said Dorsey's aunt Linda.
You could see the pain on the family’s faces as their attorney spoke about Deanta.
“He was a sweet boy, he worked hard, didn’t get in trouble, he loved his brothers and sisters, he loved his family," said Vignarajah.
Attorney Thiru Vignarajah took the chance to call on Baltimore police to solve this crime adding that the deadly mass shooting might get more attention in different parts of the city.
“Because if this murder had happened in a different part of town they’d assign three detectives who’d work around the clock and collect as many overtime hours as was needed to solve this case," said Vignarajah.
Members from the Edmondson village community association showed up to offer their support.
Monique Washington called for change at the shopping center, a place Vignarajah called an open air drug market.
She specifically wants the businesses to stop selling to young people during the school day.
“But something needs to be done, we do not, in the Edmondson village area or another part of Baltimore city, want to lose another child to crime that should not be here," said Washington.
Washington said she's contacted Popeyes corporate multiple times about students going there during the school day.
Popeyes corporate released a statement saying the following:
"We closely work with local officials and respect their wishes to not serve students during the school day. Although no one from our restaurant in the shopping center was involved, we closed for the day to allow our team members to go home given the tragic events in the parking lot outside."
The family said they haven’t been given an update on the investigation adding they don’t know who committed the crime.
Baltimore City Public Schools have since announced that students will return to school for a half-day on Friday, January 6.
Students will arrive at 8:00 a.m. and dismiss at noon.
