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Wu responds to accusations of ‘betrayal’ from mother of slain teen
The woman said the city abruptly canceled a block party meant to honor her 19-year-old son who was killed in 2020.
Last week, a Roxbury woman who lost her son to gun violence said that she felt betrayed by the city of Boston after it abruptly canceled a memorial event meant to mark five years since the shooting. Mayor Michelle Wu responded Wednesday, shedding more light on why the event was called off and offering to work with the family to find a different location.
A Facebook user identifying herself as Irma Matos explained her view of the situation in a post last week. Her son, Tierece Wiley, was murdered in Roxbury in 2020 at the age of 19. The Boston Police Department has provided no answers or resolution in the meantime, she wrote.
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Matos and her family planned a “five-year memorial cookout and carnival” to mark the anniversary of Wiley’s death. It was set to be held on Monday on Circuit Street in Roxbury. The family was given permission by the city and funds to help cover the expenses. But the city told her that that permission was being revoked just days before the memorial, she wrote.
“Now, five years later, we are being failed again,” she wrote. “This isn’t just a cancellation. It is a betrayal.”
Matos later posted a screenshot purportedly showing that the city had given her $700 for a block party grant that was rescinded.
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“The murder of my son has left a wound that may never heal. But the denial of this memorial adds new pain. Our city talks about equity, justice, and healing—but when it matters most, those words vanish,” Matos wrote.
Wu was asked about the situation Wednesday morning during an appearance on the “Java with Jimmy” show.
She explained that the city’s block party program was set up with the expectation that residents would be applying for grants to fund parties where they live. Matos was hoping to host the event on Circuit Street because that is where Wiley was killed.
“There wasn’t enough information in the program as it is set up to realize that this was a different type of situation than there usually is,” Wu said.
In this case, the neighbors who do live directly in the area where the memorial was set to take place did not “feel comfortable” and were not a part of the application process for the block party, the mayor added.
Wu said that the grant was given and can still be used for a block party to honor Wiley, if his family would like to do so at a different location. The city is ready to work with the family to identify potential locations, she said.
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The block party program is in its third year. Residents and community groups can apply for grants of up to $750 to host the outdoor parties, which also require a special permit. Last year, the city awarded 52 grants totaling more than $30,000.
Wu, who took office after Wiley’s death, prides herself on overseeing a major decrease in the city’s homicide rate and often touts Boston as the “safest major city in America.”
“We need to do everything that we can, not just to prevent and drive numbers down year after year moving forward, but to make sure we’re supporting families who already have been impacted and to provide supports and resources,” she said.
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