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One Year Later, King Carter's Father Vows To "Save Our Kings & Queens"

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Don't call it an anniversary.

"An anniversary is something celebratory, you understand? A marriage, a birthday," said Santonio Carter.

The death of a 6-year-old son is a date on a calendar he never imagined he'd see.

"Tomorrow, I really didn't want to do anything, to be honest."

But Monday, February 20th, one year after King Carter was caught in the crossfire of a shootout, his family will be at a prayer and balloon release in his honor.

"He stopped here to get his snacks before every football practice," his father recalled, outside of a mural of the child on 54th Street and N.W. 17th avenue.

"Our son, King Carter, his name will not go in vain," said Santonio. "We just can't let his name die."

This dad says he's always been active in his community and the death of his son has just forced him to step up his activism even more. His "Save Our Kings and Queens" T-shirts have become popular fashion that's funding a lifeline to the hopeless.

"When kids are calling my phone late night wanting to commit suicide because they ain't got no shoes or they're hungry, this is money for that," he said.

And so Monday will mark not an anniversary but an annual event to remind a community that the violence must stop and that the solution does not always come in the package you expect.

"Nobody is really here to protect and serve and uplift the kids," Santonio added. "But people like me, who they want to label a bad guy, he looks like a thug or a gangster, but we really have good hearts and really have good interest for the kids' future."

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