Do You See Me?” — The Heartbreaking Story of 11-Year-Old Amir “Mir Mir” Atkins
Northside of Min – I am Amir “Mir Mir” Atkins. I was only 11 years old—full of life, curiosity, and hope. On Monday, June 23, 2025, I was spending a hot summer afternoon like many other kids: at Folwell Park on the Northside of Minneapolis, playing, laughing, and just being a child. I should have been safe. But that safety was shattered in an instant.
Around 2:00 p.m., gunfire rang out. A car sped through the park—shooting indiscriminately. And that’s when a bullet tore through my small, innocent body. A place meant for joy and community became the scene of horror and pain.
Do you see me?
As I lay there, critically wounded, a Good Samaritan named Troy Young stepped in. A stranger with a heart full of compassion, he rushed to help me. He put me in his car and tried to get me to the hospital as fast as he could. On the way, we encountered police officers who tried their best to save me too. Everyone fought to keep me alive.
But they couldn’t.
Despite every effort… I didn’t make it.
Do you see me?
I was only 11 years old, gunned down in broad daylight. I wasn’t in the wrong place. I was exactly where a child should be—at a park, in the sun, with no reason to fear. I wasn’t a threat. I wasn’t a statistic. I was someone’s son. Someone’s grandson. Someone’s little brother. Someone’s friend. I was loved. I had dreams. I mattered.
Now, my mother has to bury me. She will never see my smile again, never hear me laugh, never watch me grow. No mother should have to endure such pain.
So I ask you again… Do you see me?
Do you see my face? Do you hear my voice, crying out from beyond the violence?
Please… help me get justice.
Help me make sure my name is not forgotten, and that those who turned my playground into a crime scene are held accountable. If you saw something—anything—or know who was behind the wheel of that car, or who fired those shots, please come forward. You can remain anonymous.
Call Minnesota CrimeStoppers at 800-222-8477.
Your voice could make all the difference. Do the right thing.
Because my life mattered.
Please… see me. And speak for me, since I no longer can.
