The ETCDC was asked by the City of Knoxville to work with the Daniels Family to develop a new memorial to replace the family-built one, which honored Brittany, who was only a small child when she was killed in a gang-related drive-by shooting. The new memorial wall honors not only her but other family members who were impacted by the tragedy, as well as the Lonsdale community as a whole. The wall includes built-in seating and lighting, as well as space for flowers and a memorial tree in the center of the small plaza that is created by the wall’s bowed shape.

Leslie Fawaz, Adam Buchanan, and Chris Hall met with David Brace, Avice Reid, and Nichole Daniels to develop the design. Jack Neely, a local Knoxville Historian, was contacted to write a story from interviews with the family, and sections of the story were used on plaques created to hang on the wall. Three plaques in total were designed: one for Brittany, one for the Daniels family, and one for the Lonsdale community. The wall is located next to a newly built Emerald Youth sports facility and was constructed as part of the larger site work of that project. The wall was completed in the Fall of 2019.

To learn more read Jack Neely’s story below.

Lonsdale and the Brittany Daniels Story by Jack Neely