Aveanna Propst, a 13-year-old African American girl, tragically lost her life on December 28, 2019, in Concord, North Carolina. Aveanna was struck by a stray bullet outside the Dave & Buster's at Concord Mills Mall. The incident occurred when an argument between two groups of teenagers escalated into gunfire. Aveanna, who was an eighth-grader at ACE Academy Charter School, was caught in the crossfire and pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that the shooting stemmed
from a confrontation between 18-year-old Dontae Milton-Black and a 16-year-old boy inside the mall. The argument led to the 16-year-old exiting the mall through Dave & Buster's, fearing that Milton-Black had a gun. When Milton-Black saw the 16-year-old in the parking lot, he opened fire, striking Aveanna and two other teenage boys, who survived the incident.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Dontae Milton-Black was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and felony riot. A second suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was also arrested and charged with first-degree murder and felony riot. Both suspects were acquaintances and had no prior connection to Aveanna or the other victims.
Aveanna's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Simon Property Group, the parent company of Concord Mills Mall. The lawsuit alleged that the mall's management had prior knowledge of criminal activity and delinquent behavior at the mall, particularly involving unsupervised juveniles. The family argued that the mall's management failed to take adequate security measures to protect patrons from foreseeable crimes.
The tragic death of Aveanna Propst has left a lasting impact on her family and community. Hundreds of people attended her funeral to pay their respects and remember her as a bright, loving, and talented young girl. The lawsuit and arrests have brought some measure of accountability, but the pain of losing Aveanna remains a profound loss for those who knew and loved her.
