BALTIMORE — Gunfire was so common in the block behind Mika Grant’s Northwest Baltimore home that she’d tell her children to avoid it. So when she heard dozens of shots one evening after her son had gone to the store, her heart sank.
Her worst fears were realized when she got to the scene: Her son, 14-year-old Amir Taylor, was caught in crossfire on his way home and was now headed to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He’d been shot in his arms and legs. With major artery damage, doctors told her he nearly didn’t survive the five-hour surgery that night in May 2021.
Amir spent weeks in the hospital and more in rehabilitation, missing a ceremony celebrating his move from middle to high school. He still has pain and sometimes multiple doctor’s appointments a week, and will need hip replacement surgery once he’s done growing.
