BALTIMORE — Family and friends of Safe Streets outreach worker Kenyell “Benny” Wilson gathered for a vigil in Cherry Hill Monday.
Last week, Wilson was shot and drove himself to a local hospital where he later died.
It happened less than two weeks after he and his Safe Streets team celebrated Cherry Hill going a year with out a homicide.
Wilson worked for Safe Streets for the past nine years.
“He dedicated a 100 percent to bringing change within the community,” said Michael Battle, who works with Safe Streets Cherry Hill.
As of now, police are still working to determine where exactly Wilson was shot.
No arrests have been made.
“We did shooting response, now we’re doing one for one of ours,” said Warren Williams Sr, who hired Wilson when he was the site director in 2018. “That’s the part that really hurts.”
Over a hundred people attended the vigil to pay tribute to Wilson who was seen as a neighborhood hero.
“You can look around and see the love,” Battle said. “This is not just Cherry Hill. This is Baltimore.”
Wilson’s wife also spoke at the vigil. She thanked the community for their support, while she fought back tears expressing the loss of someone she described as an “excellent father.”
“It’s unfortunate that this had to happen to him. Because he was a good guy….they just don’t know what they did when they took him away from me,” she said.
Wilson is survived by his wife and 11 kids, but his legacy will also live on through the hearts of all of his loved ones as they look to honor his life by continuing to work to stop the violence in Baltimore.
“We have to continue to be there for his wife and his children and continue to fight against this violence in the city,” Battle said.
If you have any information about the shooting, you’re asked to call police. You can also leave an anonymous tip by calling MetroCrimeStoppers at 1-866-7-Lockup
