Written by Tanya Terry
At a press conference held in front of the home Councilwoman Tonya Burns said they can no longer go to, the parents of 9-year-old Tyhari Knox spoke emotionally about losing their daughter to gun violence.
Knox’s mother, Alexis Smith, pled in deep grieving tears, saying: “My baby. She did not deserve this at all. Come forward. Turn yourself in. My baby deserves justice. She was innocent.”
According to police reports, more than 230 rounds were fired into the family’s home on Altoona Street. Tyhari Knox, who was sleeping, was struck in the head and killed.
According to Smith, her daughter was a Girl Scout, track runner, and had just won first place in her races the day before the shooting.
Tyhari’s sister, 12-year-old Allison Galloway, was shot three times in the leg. She is improving, and at the May 15 press conference her parents said she was doing “good.” Still, Smith said the gun violence has torn her family apart.
TyRaye Knox, Tyhari’s father, also spoke in tears, saying his daughter was “his everything.”
According to Flint Police Chief Terence Green, the shooting was targeted and retaliatory, with the children not being the intended target. At a previous press conference he said he was confident the Flint Police Department would make arrests for the case.
The parents called for the perpetrators to turn themselves in and pled with the community to stop spreading false information on social media about their family. They also called for an end to gun violence and urged the community to come together.
Burns highlighted the epidemic of gun violence in Flint, noting that in 2024 there were ten children shot, six fatally, with an uptick already occurring in February. She stressed the need for a comprehensive public safety plan addressing intervention, prevention, and education. Burns emphasized that many young perpetrators were born into crisis situations affected by lead poisoning, which impacts brain development and anger management. She called on parents to be more involved in their children’s lives, provide structure and boundaries, and ensure their children are not a menace to society.
Burns also called on the community, clergy, neighbors and family members to work together to address this epidemic and prevent further tragedies like Knox’s death.
For the GoFundMe honoring Tyhari Knox’s memory, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-tyhari-knoxs-memory.
