As community activists look to address the ongoing gun violence in the city of Boston, they are renewing their push to find the killer of a grandmother last year in Dorchester.
Delois Brown, 73, was fatally hit by a stray bullet while sitting on her porch in April of 2021. Police have yet to arrest in the case.
Activists hope the case being solved would encourage residents to come forward and start sharing information that leads to arrests.
"Our family is still hurt from our loved one being killed out here on the streets, and nobody is coming forward to help police solve these cases," said Brown's daughter, Shirley Brown.
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Brown said she knows someone knows something that could help police track down the shooter, but she has become frustrated since no one has come forward.
"A lot of people know a lot of things, but they aren't saying anything," she said. "If it was their loved one, they would talk."
The lack of leads from the community is why a group of activists is now renewing its calls for justice, posting flyers reminding everyone that a $10,000 reward for information still stands.
"Within the Black community, there is a culture of silence that needs to be addressed," Rev. Kevin Peterson said.
Peterson has been putting the pressure on city leaders to make Boston's neighborhoods safer, but he said the community has to play a role, too.
"Delois Brown's case is a perfect example of we, as a community, need to respond to the violence in our community. If we see a crime or we know of a crime that happened, we need to step up to the plate and answer," he said.
Peterson is also hosting a series of community meetings to address recent violence. The group hopes to come up with a public safety plan by Christmas to be presented to city officials.
