Protest Calls for Accountability Following Shooting Death of Alton Teen

ALTON - Following a July 4, 2025, shooting that left a 17-year-old dead, community members gathered at the Alton Housing Authority for a protest.

On July 7, 2025, protest organizers called for increased policing and a gate around Alton Housing Authority properties. The shooting on July 4, 2025, claimed the life of a 17-year-old girl whose name has not been released, though those at the protest described her as “a shining star.”

“We lost a shining star, a beautiful young lady, well-mannered, focused, and it's a shame,” said Donald Mason El.

Mason El is the founder of the 100 Man Movement Crime Prevention Initiative and the F.L.Y. Mentorship Program. The 17-year-old victim was a mentee, and he said she acted as “a big sister” to many of the other young girls in the program.

Lee Barham, who organized the July 7 protest, stressed the importance of accountability. He emphasized that elected and appointed officials must be held accountable, but citizens also need to start “speaking up.”

He encouraged people to call their elected officials and the Alton Housing Authority Board members.

“The buck stops with you, and also, the buck stops with us,” he said. “I don’t want to have no more protests. I don’t want to have no more vigils. I want all the kids in Alton to grow up and be successful.”

Mason El and Barham advocated for a coded gate system that will allow residents of Alton Housing Authority properties to buzz in guests. They believe this will decrease crime and violence in these areas while supporting the residents.

“People seem to not understand poverty. People don't seem to understand the things that come along with poverty,” Mason El said. “Let's give them a break. They get victimized by people from the outside coming in there, behaving however they want to behave, and then they get criticized by people that don't live there, talking about Oakwood, talking about Alton Acres, as if the tenants inside of these areas are the cause of the issues.”

Several other community members spoke to offer their condolences to the family and advocate for a gate system. Creola Davis, a mother in the community, echoed Mason El. She encouraged the community to come together in the face of tragedy.

“We've got to stop looking at each other as an enemy,” she said. “We've got to stop allowing other races to tell us that we are not a group. We've got to become one…We can't let them tell us we're a thug, we're a murderer, we're a rapist, we're this, we're that. And not only do they tell us these things about ourselves, but then they give us the resources to make sure we act the way they want us to act. They make sure we have guns in our community, they make sure we have drugs in our community, we have alcohol in our community, and we use those things. And then what do we do? We start to act the way they say we act. And we've got to stop allowing people to make us act the way they want us to act so they can keep control over us. We've got to take our power back. We are proud people.”

In honor of the 17-year-old girl, the protesters released several blue balloons, as blue was her favorite color.

There will be a fundraiser to support the 17-year-old girl’s family. From 6–9 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, and 1–6 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, community members can stop by the rec center at Oakwood to donate and purchase fish sandwiches for $10. The proceeds will go toward burial costs.

“Now in the class of 2026, we won't have one graduating,” Barham added. “That little girl there could have grown up to be one of the scientists. She could have grown up to be a politician. She could have grown up to be anybody. But did she have the opportunity to grow up?”

Print Version