Nearly a year after 19-year-old Amarie Alowonle was shot at Sanborn Park, her family is still waiting for answers. This week, they took that wait straight to the State Capitol, standing beside state advocates and staff from Minnesota’s new Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office to demand leads, accountability and attention. Relatives say the office helped secure a $10,000 reward and has stayed in close contact with investigators as they continue the search for whoever pulled the trigger.
Medical examiner: fatal wound, scene identified
According to a Hennepin County Medical Examiner press release, the victim was identified as Amarie Cashayla-Marie Alowonle, 19, and the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. The release lists the injury on May 4, 2025, at 4236 Drew Avenue North in Robbinsdale and her death on May 12 at North Memorial Health Hospital.
What police are asking for
Robbinsdale police say the shooting happened around 9:20 p.m. and have asked neighbors to check exterior camera footage from roughly 8:30 to 9:45 p.m. for anything that could help investigators, the Star Tribune reports. So far, no arrests have been announced in the case.
Families bring case to the Capitol
At a Monday gathering in the Capitol rotunda, Amarie’s mother, Tatiana Kilgore, told attendees she believes her daughter “would have had a beautiful life,” and relatives vowed to keep pushing for justice. Their appearance was part of a statewide Day on the Hill focused on missing and murdered Black women and girls, as reported by CBS Minnesota.
State office steps in
Minnesota established the Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office in 2023 to support families, improve investigations and address systemic gaps, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety notes. As of October, the office had worked with 11 families, and Director Kaleena Burkes has said internal data shows police or government system failures surfaced in about a third of reviewed cases, CBS Minnesota reports.
Reward and next steps
Earlier this fall the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office posted a $10,000 reward for information in the Robbinsdale shooting, a move local outlets covered while families and state staff say the fund could help generate new leads. The reward announcement noted the sheriff’s office decision and community reaction.
How to help
Authorities continue to ask anyone with tips or video to contact Robbinsdale police at [email protected] or 763-531-1242, or to reach Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at 1-800-222-8477, the Star Tribune reports. Investigators say even footage that seems insignificant could prove crucial.
For the Kilgore family, the message in the Capitol rotunda and beyond was firm and uncomplicated: they will keep pressing for answers until someone is held responsible. Their fight has become a pointed example of why advocates and state leaders say more resources and scrutiny are needed for missing and murdered Black women and girls across Minnesota.
