Bre’Asia Powell was tragically shot and killed in Atlanta at a graduation celebration in the Benjamin E. Mays High School parking lot May 28.
Powell’s burial was attended by hundreds of mourning family and friends dressed in pink and white. Among them were rappers Lil Baby and Young Dro, who urged the youth to put the guns down and stop more lives from being lost.
The 16-year-old was laid to rest on Saturday, June 3, at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church. The community remembered her as a bright scholar, star athlete and enthusiastic cheerleader.
“She was a very well-mannered kid. She was very special to us all,” Kamira Garrett, one of Powell’s coaches, said to Fox 5 Atlanta.
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“This was an unfortunate tragedy that has shaken a family and friends circle to its core.” Andre Dickens, Atlanta Mayor and Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools told Fox 5 Atlanta.
The service honored and shared memories of the teen as well as included passionate calls to end gun violence. In a pointed eulogy, the “Drip Too Hard” hitmaker urged attendees to stop the violence while speaking passionately at the service.
Lil Baby speaks at the funeral for 16-year-old Bre'Asia Powell who was killed at a graduation party. Praying for the family🙏🏽
— Wave Check🌊 (@thewavecheckk) June 4, 2023
“What I do want to say to the youth and like the younger generation — and I’m saying that as a ‘we’ because I’m with y’all — is we gotta change,” Lil Baby said.
The 28-year-old noted that it is not just the “young boys” who need to hear this, but the young girls as well.
“The females and males may think ‘this or that is cool,’ but it’s not,” Lil Baby said. “So the young boys doing this and that to prove it to the girls that they’re cool when in the end, it’s not cool.”
He urged the youth to know that getting into trouble isn’t worth their freedom.
“The same girls, if that ain’t gonna be with you,” he added, “They’re gonna be with the opps when you go to jail.”
“Get you some friends to push you to your potential, and you gotta listen to these adults too,” Young Dro added.
Officials hope the teen’s impact here is not soon forgotten.
“Hopefully, they got the message we must stop the violence,” Atlanta City Council member Andrea L. Boone said, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Lil Baby also said he wants to assist in addressing the violence in Atlanta.
“We gotta come up with a plan, and I’m here to help the planning,” he said.
Atlanta Police have not identified the shooter, no arrests have been made, nor has information been released about a possible suspect or suspects.
Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of $10,000 to anyone with information about the shooting.
May Bre’Asia Powell rest in peace.
