YORKTOWN, Va. – American Legion Post 368 held a car wash on Saturday for 10-year-old Malachi Smith, who was shot in Newport News.
A flyer from the event says that the organization held the car wash on 4351 George Washington Memorial Highway at the Precision Glass & Mirror from 8 am to 1 p.m.
All proceeds from the car wash were donations to the boy.
Back on June 6, police found Smith shot in the head at a birthday party around 8 p.m.
News 3 spoke with Smith’s God mother Toni Eckert and family friend Samantha Baines. Both were not at the birthday party or their children.
They mentioned the gun violence has to stop although Smith wasn’t the intended target.
“They’re killing our future; that’s about what I can say,” said family friend Samantha Baines. “They’re killing our children. I have three children of my own. My son being in the Cub Scouts with Malachi, he of course had nightmares that night.”
Smith’s godmother, Toni Eckert, told News 3, “As a parent I can only imagine if my child was playing right next to him when this happened.”
The community rallied behind Smith in the neighborhood where the shooting happened.
Many people drew blue hearts on the back of their hands and held blue and gold balloons.
Those who know the young boy said blue is his favorite color and he has a heart of gold.
“That’s towards everybody no matter what. He’s just an all-around 100% great kid,” Baines said.
