Four years ago, Anisa Scott knew that gun violence would be a big threat to her childhood. Back in 2016, she was only 7. But she was the star in a locally produced anti-gun violence video.
The video was called "A Cry for Help," and it was produced by Rafael Charles Ragland. He is the father of Anisa's 5-year-old half-sister, Anija. In the video, Anisa is praying for the end of gun violence. In the video, you can see clips of news reports that focus on children who were accidentally shot and killed due to gun violence.
Ragland grew up in Chicago, which was the main focus of the video. However, despite moving to Wisconsin, Anisa still had the same issues with gun violence. Anisa was shot and killed while sitting in a car. She was in the midst of crossfire and was struck in the head. After suffering from life-threatening injuries, she was pulled off life support.
In the video created by her stepfather, she prayed not to think about gun violence any more. "I just want to go outside and play, like a 7-year-old is supposed to do," she said. "I don't want to die."
The Madison Police Department reports that two suspects are in custody. Andre P. Brown, 16, and Perion R. Carreon, 19, are being held on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Even though Andre is 16, he'll be on trial as an adult based on the nature of the crime.
When Carreon was found by police, he reportedly was driving a stolen car with a gun tucked away in his waistband. The gun was loaded. Both teens are currently at Dane County Jail. The investigation is still ongoing, and police believe there may be more people involved.
This type of violence took away Anisa's life. At the age of 11, there was so much she had to look forward to. Her stepfather, reflecting on her video, can't believe it really happened. "I'm so confused honestly because the same thing she was praying about, praying that it doesn't happen to her, then it turns around and happens to her," he said. "It just devastates me."
Ragland went on to post several tributes to Anisa on his Facebook account. "Anisa I remember that day you said to me, when I make it big can you still be in my movies so people could know your name everywhere," he wrote. "I said of course."
"Anisa I want you to know people know and are saying your name everywhere," he continued. "Rest up sweetheart and please ask God to lead me in the right hands and direct my path… Thank you for being a part of my life I will always love you, my junior director. I promise I will write something for you."
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway was quick to address the devastating death. "We mourn the tragic loss of Anisa Scott, and work together to stem gun violence," she said. "This has to stop. I addressed the work the City is doing to address this on multiple fronts recently."
"More needs to be done on the prevention side," she said in a video. "There are programs working in cities across the country to interrupt gun violence, and we need to find the model that will work in Madison." She also said that the best prevention method is equitable access to opportunity.
According to WKOW, a Unity March is being planned to celebrate the life of Anisa Scott. The funeral is set for Saturday, August 22. A march will happen before she's laid to rest. There will be a private funeral at 12 p.m at Breese Stevens Field, but it will be webcast to others who want to join in and pay respects.
A candlelight vigil was also held to celebrate Anisa. The victim's best friend, Avalyn Bomcamp, was there to talk to NBC15 about how much Anisa meant to her and to the community. "She didn't deserve this," she said. "She deserves to be out living her best life. It's just sad to hear that I have to let her go now because of people and guns."
The vigil was organized by Alwyn Foster. "We just saw all the hurt. We saw all of the pain," he said. "There was just a dark cloud over the city and the county and you could feel it." The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County is also helping with her funeral.
"Amy Arenz, the CEO of Concero, contacted our CEO and donated $10,000 to cover all the funeral expenses so Anisa will have the home going celebration she deserves," the organization wrote. "On behalf of the Rios/Scott family they would like to thank Amy Arenz for her generosity and the family is also thankful for the support the community is providing as well."
Brady, a gun violence prevention group, reports that in connection with statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 children and teens are shot in the United States every day. Every year, 37,603 people die from gun violence. From that number, 7,878 are children and teenagers. It's too high of a number to disregard.
Gun violence is also very expensive. Brady notes that every year, gun violence costs the American economy $229 billion. So not only are we constantly losing loved ones, but we're doing it at a tremendous cost. These are just a few of the many reasons why gun control is so important.
Anisa didn't do anything wrong. She was just riding in a car when she unexpectedly lost her life. She could have been anyone's kid. Or she could have been you. It's important to remember that her life mattered, and that it could have been saved if these individuals had put down their guns.
