LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After a few days to mourn and reflect, the woman at the wheel when three-year-old Acen King was shot and killed spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday night (Dec. 21), to share her family’s pain and strength with dozens of well-wishers, according to KTHV.
Nearly 100 people attended a candlelight vigil in Acen’s memory. State Representative Fred Allen and Pastor Terrance Long spoke briefly before Kim King-Macon took the microphone.
“In no shape, form, or fashion, did I know anything of that [magnitude] was gonna take place,” she explained.
She was driving Saturday evening, with Acen and his one-year-old brother in the backseat, when a man got out of his car and shot Acen. The Little Rock Police Department has called the shooting an apparent act of road rage.
At the same intersection where her grandson was shot, Kim King-Macon and the rest of Acen’s family celebrated the young boy who brought them so much happiness.
“My grand-baby brought joy to every single body and every soul he ever touched,” she said. “It’s unfair for his life to be taken. I understand that God has another plan for him.”
She spoke for less than three minutes, and the entire ceremony was not much longer than that, but that was enough to bring several people to tears. Talking about a life cut so needlessly short is not easy, but King-Macon said her faith in God has carried her through this difficult week.
“I understand what He’s doing,” she stated. “I don’t understand why He’s doing it, but I thank Him for putting me where He has me today.”
A small shrine has been created at the stop sign at the corner of Mablevale Cut Off Road and Warren Drive. Teddy bears, flowers, and a cross mark the spot where Acen King was shot. The teddy bears could have been Christmas presents for Acen. Instead, they are reminders of the tragedy that occurred at that intersection Saturday, and the pain that his family still feels.
“I have moments where I can do this and moments where I can’t,” King-Macon told the crowd.
The dozens of friends and neighbors who sang, prayed, and held candles promised more love for the King family, and vigilance in the search for the man who shot and killed Acen. Many people believe the gunman was visiting someone in the nearby Yorkwood neighborhood, and that residents know who he is.
“I’ve seen that car in this neighborhood before,” King-Macon stated. “I can’t tell you what house, but it’s been on this street. Whoever knows what this young man is, and is not bringing him forward: to God be the glory for you.”
Acen King’s funeral will be Friday, December 23, at 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church in North Little Rock.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Acen’s family.
