CLEVELAND — Tamir Rice would have turned 20 years old this past June. On Saturday, his mother and family gathered in Cudell Park, the spot where the then 12-year-old was fatally shot by police while playing with a fake gun, to open The Rice Butterfly Memorial.
Samaria Rice said the dedication celebrates her son’s legacy.
“My son is one of the most painful sacrifices for the world to endure,” she said at the event.
The family formed the Tamir Rice Foundation in 2016. Its goal in opening the memorial is to honor Tamir’s 20th birthday and his sister Tajai, according to the foundation’s website. But for his loved ones, it means even more.
“It’s a space that I can share with Tamir and the family, when we need it,” Rice said.
Rice said they should be celebrating Tamir’s birthday. Instead, they’re remembering his death. As the ceremony ended, they released butterflies in Tamir’s honor.
“It’s very hard to be here, but I’m happy because this is the last memory of my son,” she said.
A grand jury did not indict the officers involved in Tamir Rice’s shooting. The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the case, but never charged the officers. Rice’s family sued the city and received a settlement. They hope that the case can be reopened, Samaria Rice said.
