Remembering Aniya Allen: A Life Taken Too Soon

Aniya Allen was just six years old — a little girl full of laughter, love for unicorns, and an infectious sunshine spirit. On May 17, 2021, she had a perfect day at the lake, enjoying life, eating McDonald’s in the backseat of her mother’s car. One moment she was smiling, the next… her life was stolen by a stray bullet.

The world lost a bright light that day. Aniya’s mother survived, but was left to navigate a world forever changed by the loss of her daughter. Her grandfather, KG Wilson, an anti-violence activist, was left shattered, pleading for peace in a world that took his granddaughter far too soon.

Aniya wasn’t involved in violence — she was simply a child, a victim of an adult world of violence. Her tragic death was part of a devastating spring in Minneapolis, a spring where three children lost their lives to senseless gunfire. It forced the city, and the world, to confront a painful truth: why are children dying in the crossfires of grown-up conflicts?

Her family continues to grieve, but they also demand compassion, answers, and a community that refuses to forget Aniya’s name. Her legacy is a call for change — a reminder that no child should ever fall victim to the violence that surrounds them.

We remember Aniya. We fight for peace. We won’t forget.