WOFFORD: (Crying) There's two rules here - smile and be whitewashed - because you can't dance, you can't have your music. It angered him so much that he could not be who he was but everybody else could. Wofford says the death of her son Aidan Ellison is a loss for this world, but a gain for Heaven — where she says he is free to be Black now. An autopsy conducted on Aidan Ellison doesn’t appear to support the claims of Robert Paul Keegan that he shot and killed the Black teenager in self-defense. At around 4:20 a.m. Monday, Keegan, allegedly shot and killed a young Black man named Aidan Ellison, 19, Ashland. They gathered along with a couple of hundred other people for a vigil Wednesday night at the Jackson County Courthouse. She gets emotional recalling how much he struggled being one of the few Black people living in Ashland. Ashland’s police chief told reporters the shooter “engage[d] [Ellison] in an argument”… That includes Kayla Wade, who founded the Southern Oregon Coalition for Racial Equity. Keegan now faces several charges, including second-degree murder. hide caption. Latest safety News: Accused Southern Oregon I-5 shooter faces 34 counts in Jackson County You can't have your music. Toren McKnight of Central Point draws on the cement at the vigil for Aidan Ellison outside the Jackson County Courthouse in Medford, Ore., on Dec. 3. The FBI is working with Ashland police to assess whether Robert Keegan violated any federal laws in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Aidan Ellison, according to the local agency. Black community leaders chose this location to send a message to the district attorney handling the shooting of 19-year-old Aidan Ellison in Ashland, that there needs to be justice. I have a 16-year-old boy, and I worry about him as well. I live near ashland, where Aidan Ellison was killed. Williams told investigators that Remy had gotten in his vehicle following the shooting and drove away from the campground, only to crash off the side of the Agness Road a few miles west of the town. Aidan Ellison, 19 year old black youth murdered on 11/23 at the Stratford Inn in Ashland Oregon by white 48 year old Robert Keegan for playing his music too loud. Accuracy and availability may vary. Aisha Wand is drawing Ellison's name in big, chalky letters at the courthouse steps. "There are two rules here: smile and be whitewashed," Wofford says. Being out at night, being out with his friends, because of instances like this happening.". A week after Keegan claimed he killed Ellison in self-defense after an argument over loud music, the results of Ellison’s autopsy contradicted that. Curfew In Philadelphia Lifts As City Is Roiled By Protests In Walter Wallace Shooting, Updates: The Fight Against Racial Injustice, Protesters in Waukegan, Ill., Call For Federal Probe After Police Kill Black Man. On Nov. 23, Aidan Ellison — a Black teenager — was shot and killed in Ashland, Ore. A white man stands accused of the killing. Ashland’s police chief told reporters the shooter “engage[d] [Ellison] in an argument” over the volume of the music he was playing, Yahoo reported. This small college town near the Oregon-California border has a progressive reputation, but Ellison's death has led many Black leaders to question that reputation and demand change. The FBI says it's investigating whether federal laws on bias were violated in this shooting. The reason was that … Erik Neumann/Jefferson Public Radio For NPR News, I'm April Ehrlich in Ashland, Ore. Local Crime & Safety news, arrests, shooting and more jail, police or fire department information of Eagle Point, OR. “Aidan Ellison should be alive today. Friends of the victim are coming together to honor Aidan Ellison. The shooting of a Black teenager by a white middle-aged man who confronted him for playing loud music is causing soul searching in the mostly white community where he lived. I have a 16-year-old boy, and I worry about him as well, being out at night, being out with his friends because of incidents like this happening. APRIL EHRLICH, BYLINE: A couple of hundred people have gathered for a vigil at the Jackson County courthouse. At around 4:20 a.m. Monday, Keegan, allegedly shot and killed a young Black man named Aidan Ellison, 19, Ashland. I almost lost my … Many Black leaders say it's clear that there's more work to be done to address systemic racism in this region. Much of this region is predominately white; according to census data, about 80% of the population in Jackson County identifies solely as white. Ashland’s police chief told reporters the shooter “engage[d] [Ellison] in an argument” over the volume of the music he was playing, Yahoo reported. A week after Keegan claimed he killed Ellison in self-defense after an argument over loud music, the results of Ellison’s autopsy contradicted that. Keegan has been charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, according to police. Ellison was reportedly in the Ashland's Stratford Inn parking lot and listening to music. Aidan Ellison, 19, was staying at the hotel with his friend Sara Jones and her cousin when the young man couldn't sleep that night. Keegan is accused of shooting 19-year-old Aidan Ellison in the chest and killing him in the parking lot of the hotel where they were both staying as guests. The Oregon chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement on the fatal shooting of Aidan Ellison, a Black 19-year-old, outside a motel in Ashland, Oregon. EHRLICH: Wofford says the death of her son, Aidan Ellison, is a loss for this world but a gain for heaven where, she says, he is free to be Black now. “We’re horrified,” said Amie Wexler, a volunteer with Oregon Moms Demand Action. I live nearby. A white resident of that hotel is accused of murder. Robert Paul Keegan allegedly shot and killed 19-year-old Aidan Ellison in the early morning of Nov. 23 in Ashland, Ore., during a dispute over loud music. See more of I Love Being Black on Facebook You're a problem.". Ellison was reportedly in the Ashland's Stratford Inn parking lot and listening to music. Explore this storyboard about Coronavirus (COVID-19), Intensive Care, Autopsy by theGrio on Flipboard. It's hard for me to talk about it. Oregon teen Aidan Ellison killed over loud music. Wofford says her son, Ellison, had an infectious smile, and he would wear himself thin trying to make everyone around him happy, and he loved music. Robert Paul Keegan, 47, is charged with second-degree murder and other charges in the Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, shooting death of Aidan Ellison, 19, … EHRLICH: Her son had been living at the hotel when he was killed. Say his name. Pre-Trial for the Aidan Ellison Case Postponed. And if you don't submit here, you're a problem. Many Black people say they encounter racism every day, even in a town like Ashland where there are Black Lives Matter signs in many front yards. “Aidan Ellison should be alive today. Aidan Ellison, 19 year old black youth murdered on 11/23 at the Stratford Inn in Ashland Oregon by white 48 year old Robert Keegan for playing his music too loud. Aidan Ellison, 19 year old black youth murdered on 11/23 at the Stratford Inn in Ashland Oregon by white 48 year old Robert Keegan for playing his music too loud. Playing loud music in the middle of the night is inconsiderate and stupid behavior. "And we're here because every person of color, every Black person in this community, has experienced something like that: having a white person decide that how we're living our lives is unacceptable and that we need to tone it down or need to be silenced. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Aidan Ellison, a 19-year-old Black man, was fatally shot in the chest on November 23 by a white man named Robert Paul Keegan, 47, after a dispute about loud music in a hotel parking lot. Black teen Aidan Ellison’s autopsy appears to disprove shooter’s defense; Oregon Man Fatally Shot Black Teen After Confrontation Over Music Volume, Police Say Black Teenager In … KTVL-TV reported that Robert Keegan, 47, confronted Ellison in the parking lot of the Stratford Inn because of the volume of his music. He would wear himself thin trying to make everyone around him happy, and he loved music. On Nov. 23, Aidan Ellison — a Black teenager — was shot and killed by a white man in Ashland, Ore. Robert Paul Keegan, 47, of Talent, entered the plea Friday to charges including second-degree murder in the fatal Nov. 23 shooting of 19-year-old Aidan Ellison, according to … Police say he then fatally shot Ellison in the chest. hide caption. AMA. A handful of racial equity groups have formed in the county since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis in May. Less than 2% are Black or Black and another race.