individuals who need the help," said incoming Mayor Sheila Dixon. "As we remember, let us look forward to the commitment that we will make for every life that walks in that building." Carnell Dawson was set ablaze on Oct.
16, 2002 after they reported drug dealing to police. Angela Dawson and the couple's five children perished in the blaze and Carnell Dawson died a week later in a hospital. The murders captured national attention and galvanized an effort to clean up the neighborhood, just east of Green Mount Cemetery.
pulled together $1.2 million to renovate the house as a memorial to the family. The Dawson Family Safe Haven Center, which opens in January, will offer after-school programs, a computer lab and a program to train students to make community belie the decrepit condition the corner rowhouse was in after the fire.
A small floor, showing the blackened wreckage. a deputy housing commissioner, recalled the night of the blaze, noting that five of the victims were children. "We stood there in the rainy night as bodies came out of this building.
If you have a heart, you know what that felt like," said Scriber, who helped orchestrate the renovation. L. Brooks is serving a life sentence without parole for the fire.
A subsequent $14 million lawsuit filed against city and state leaders was dismissed this year. A encouraging residents to report criminal activity to police. "There will be, once again, seven candles burning from the windows of this house," said Gov.
- elect Martin O'Malley, who was mayor at the time of the incident. He continued, through tears, "in this holy, special and unique little house that became our Alamo, where the light shines on in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it." $280,000 a year to operate the center, which will have three full-time staff members.
The center will receive operating money from the city through 2010, but the speakers and to hear students from the nearby Dr. Bernard Harris Sr. Elementary School sing.
Community leaders said the key to making the site neighborhood who are inspired to help. ago we all vowed, 'never again,'" said the Rev. Iris Tucker, who preached at the nearby Knox Presbyterian Church at the time of the fire.
"This is not the end. This is the beginning. This building will need volunteers.
Don't think that after this ceremony it's over. It has just begun." blocked off traffic for Monday's ceremony, which took place as one of the city's blue-light police cameras flashed overhead.
As O'Malley spoke, a police helicopter circled a couple of times overhead, nearly drowning out his voice. Sirens could also be heard increased patrols in the area since the killing and said crime has gone down. four this year.
Overall violent crime has dropped 40 percent, the spokesman said. ceremony. As reporters and elected officials left the corner, a few residents walked by the house to see what had happened.
Samantha Bowie, who said she has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, said she wished there was more constant police bigwigs out here," said Bowie, 46, who reflected the frustration of some in the community that the city's response came too late. "When she tried to do something positive for the neighborhood, where was they at?" Shirleen Williams, 44, said she believes the Dawson family did what it had to do by standing its ground.
She suggested that the killings have brought renewed attention to the community. "It has gotten better, to me," Williams said, "but it's a shame that something had to happen to this family." number.
We can't respond to every call we can. And we'll follow up on as many of the problems as we can.
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