INDIANAPOLIS— On Saturday, dozens of family members and friends gathered at a garden on the city’s northwest side to release balloons in memory of cousins Jaiden and Kalin, whose lives were cut short by gun violence just one year apart.
The quiet tribute honored Jaiden Gardfrey and Kalin Washington, remembered by loved ones for their closeness to family and commitment to their neighborhood.
“This year there was so much gun violence for young people and it hit my home,” said Tawanda Gardfrey, Jaiden’s grandmother and Kalin’s cousin.
Washington died in 2023 after a mass shooting at a Halloween party. Gardfrey said the loss shook the family, but it also inspired action. After Washington’s death, Jaiden helped create a community garden in her memory. One year later, the family was mourning him, too.
“Jaiden usually would be out here helping us through the garden,” Gardfrey said. “So everybody in the family cousins, late cousins and his children gonna be out here.”
Jaiden’s mother said the family remains close and continues to honor both cousins by serving others.
The garden, located near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Edgewood Avenue, sits in what the family describes as a food desert. Neighbors are welcome to take fresh produce grown there.
“We grow vegetables and built the benches back there,” Gardfrey said.
Family members said the garden is a way to keep Jaiden and Kalin’s memories alive while addressing a need in the community where Jaiden grew up.
“It’s weird to see it all come to a tragic end,” Gardfrey said. “He had a family and community and now we honor them.”
The balloon release served as both a celebration of life and a reminder of loss, especially during the holiday season, as loved ones reflected on the impact Jaiden and Kalin continue to have on those they left behind.
