The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would rename Cedar Street, Southeast after Davon McNeal, the 11-year-old who was killed in the crossfire of bullets after an anti-violence Fourth of July celebration in 2020.

Introduced by 10 councilmembers, the legislation would make 1400 Cedar Street in Anacostia — where McNeal was fatally gunned down — Davon T. McNeal III Way. The council’s Committee of the Whole gave the bill a first vote Tuesday. It’ll be up for a final vote on April 4.

John Ayala, Davon’s grandfather, told DCist/WAMU on Wednesday that there shouldn’t need to be a street renamed in Davon’s memory, because he should still be with his family and friends.

“I hate the fact that this has to happen,” Ayala said. “He was 11-years-old. He should be living his life like the rest of us. But it’s a good thing, in a way, because many years from now, people will wonder ‘who is that? Who is Davon?’ It’ll make people Google and find out who it was, see how he made an impact in the community at that age.”

On July 4, 2020 Davon had just left a Fourth of July cookout in his neighborhood, Cedar Gardens. His mother, Crystal, is a violence interrupter and had helped organized the event. Around 9 p.m., Davon’s phone had died, so his mom took him to his aunt’s house nearby to grab a charger. When he got out of the car, shots began ringing out. Davon was struck in the head, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Davon was a star running back on his football team, the Metro Bengals, with dreams of playing for the NFL one day. His grandmother, Wanda Ayala, told DCist/WAMU in an earlier interview that he’d say once he’d made it as a football star, he was going to buy her the “biggest house I can find.” In the months after his killing, Washington Commanders starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins wore Davon’s name on his helmet. The 11-year-old loved video games, hanging out with friends, and taking vacations with his family.

Four people were arrested and charged with Davon’s murder. In February 2022, Daryle Bond, 20, Marcel Gordon, 27, Christen Wingfield, 24, and Carlo General, 22, all pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed. Bond was sentenced to eight years in prison, Gordon to 10 years, General to 16 years, and Wingfield to 9.5 years.

Davon came from a family of people working to reduce violence in their community. In the years since his death, that work is largely how they’ve honored Davon’s memory and processed their grief, according to Ayala. Crystal, Davon’s mom, has continued her work as a violence interrupter, mediating disputes and resolving conflicts before they escalate to violence. She also provides for residents experiencing homelessness, and meets with other parents who have lost children. Ayala, meanwhile, is still working with the local Guardian Angels chapter he started in D.C., a volunteer group that patrols streets and mentors youth.

“We just deal with it,” he said. “We deal with it every day.”

Previously:
All Defendants Plead Guilty In Killing Of 11-Year-Old Davon McNeal
Davon McNeal’s Teammates And Family Share Their Memories Of The Slain 11-Year-Old At Vigil
‘I Really Loved Him’: Children In Anacostia Mourn 11-Year-Old Davon McNeal
Davon McNeal’s Family Has Long Worked Toward Resolving D.C. Violence