ATLANTA — As Atlanta city officials continue efforts to address ongoing concerns regarding youth selling water on dozens of streets and highways across the city, the death of one teen is still devastating to a community.
One mother has a message for city leaders and the community at large on what she thinks needs to be done about the situation.
How long a red light lasts is how fast a bottle can triple its worth.
On any given day, you can find kids and teens at different intersections selling water in Atlanta.
Atlanta Police report that street sales result in hundreds of calls ranging from disorderly conduct, fights, aggressive behavior, arrests, and in some cases, tragedy.
Meka Pless's son, Jalanni, was shot and killed while selling bottles of water along 8th Street in Midtown Atlanta. The teen's family believes it was over a $10 bill, something that could have been easily resolved.
"He was hardworking. He had recently just graduated from Douglas High School in 2019," Pless said. "I think about my baby and how he's not here. Why was he so angry that he had to take his life?"
The Atlanta City Council unanimously passed a plan to launch a water distribution program that would employ the teens.
Currently, in the city of Atlanta, a vendors' license is needed to sell anything within the city limits.
In the meantime, other community leaders are stepping up to take a more hands-on approach to help the kids and teens.
“How can we generate revenue in this city to address the systemic issues that have gone unaddressed for decades?” Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown asked.
Meka Pless said the kids need more after-school programs in the city, and that if they decide to sell water bottles, she said there needs to be a policy in place -- whether it's at certain times of the day, or with adult chaperones that can help them.
"I don't want this to happen to anyone else's child," she said. "Because a child's life is the most valuable thing in the world."