In Loving Memory of Namar Hicks A young life full of promise, gone far too soon.
Milwaukee is mourning the heartbreaking loss of 18-year-old Namar Hicks, a beloved student and vibrant young man whose life was tragically cut short on Friday morning. Just moments after leaving Assata High School on an early dismissal schedule, Namar was fatally shot only blocks from campus—a devastating act of violence that has left his family, classmates, and community reeling.
What should have been an ordinary school day turned into an unimaginable nightmare. Released early from school, Namar was simply making his way through his neighborhood—something he had done countless times before. But in an instant, that routine walk became the moment that stole him from a family who adored him and a community that believed in his future. The grief that now grips those who knew him is immeasurable.
A Young Man Filled With Potential
At just 18 years old, Namar stood on the threshold of adulthood, filled with dreams and determination. Family members describe him as bright, ambitious, and deeply loved—someone with a gentle spirit and a heart big enough to hold everyone close to him. He had plans, goals, and a vision for the life he wanted to build. Whether it was pursuing further education, stepping into a career, or simply continuing to grow into the man he was becoming, Namar was excited for what lay ahead.
His teachers and peers at Assata High School remember him as respectful, engaged, and full of life. He was the type of student who brought light into a room—not by being the loudest, but by being authentically himself. His quiet strength, warm presence, and thoughtful nature made him someone people gravitated toward.
Many recall his smile—genuine and full of warmth. They remember the way he listened when others spoke, the way he looked out for his friends, and the way he carried himself with maturity beyond his years. Namar had a way of making people feel seen and valued, a quality rare even in adults. His absence now leaves a heavy silence where laughter and conversations once lived.
A Family Devastated, A Community Shaken
The Hicks family is now facing every parent’s greatest fear and deepest heartbreak. No mother or father expects to bury their child—especially not one so full of life, so young, and so deeply loved. The pain they carry is indescribable, yet they continue to speak of Namar with immense pride and boundless love.
Beyond his family, the Assata High School community is grieving the loss of one of their own. Students are leaning on each other, trying to make sense of a tragedy that feels senseless. Staff members are offering support, honoring his memory, and comforting those struggling to cope. Neighborhood residents, shaken by the violence that claimed his life, are coming together with heavy hearts, demanding safety, accountability, and justice.
Honoring Namar’s Memory
Namar’s story should not be defined by the violence that took his life, but by the love, joy, and potential he embodied. He was a son, a friend, a student, and a young man with a bright future. He deserved to grow old, pursue his dreams, and live freely without fear.
As Milwaukee remembers him, his community holds onto the beauty of who he was and the promise of who he was becoming. Every memory shared by family and friends is a reminder that his life mattered—deeply, fully, and profoundly.
His legacy now becomes a call to action: to uplift his family in their time of grief, to support one another, and to fight relentlessly against the violence that continues to steal young lives.
Forever Loved, Forever Missed
Though Namar’s life was tragically brief, the mark he left on the hearts of those who knew him will endure. His name will be spoken with love, his smile remembered with tenderness, and his spirit carried by the many people he touched in his 18 short years.
May he rest in peace, and may his family and community find strength, comfort, and healing as they honor his memory.
Rest in peace, Namar Hicks.
You will never be forgotten.
