Summer started off on a somber note in the city of Minneapolis after a young boy was shot dead in a public park. The incident occurred on June 23, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who announced that the victim was an 11-year-old boy at a press conference and in a news release that same day.

Marvin Walker Jr., identified as the boy’s uncle on a GoFundMe page, calls 11-year-old Amir Atkins “a beacon of light in our lives – a joyful, loving child whose laughter filled our hearts. He had a unique spark that touched everyone he met, and his absence leaves a void that can never be filled.”

MINNEAPOLIS – The 11-year-old boy shot and killed Monday in north Minneapolis is identified as Amir Atkins. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office says Atkins died of a gunshot wound to the head.