Carrying signs demanding “No Target Practice on Kids,” twenty youths picketed Danny’s Market on Puritan at San Juan, July 13, protesting the wild shooting by a Negro guard at two little black girls aged eight and ten.
The white owner, Danny Knopper, was told to “keep his goons under control” to “protect black kids” and to “provide good will and not bad guards”.
The two little girls had been passing by the market after closing time, and in getting off their bicycles they stumbled against the door, making a noise although not breaking anything. The store guard rushed out and fired two shots, frightening the children and causing a neighbor to speed to the scene gun in hand and with threats to burn the store. He had witnessed the wanton shooting at the little girl.
The picket line was organized by Brothers and Sisters United, a group of young people in the Fitzgerald school area. The militancy of these youths is a direct outgrowth of previous incidents involving police harassment on the streets and at Post Junior High.
The market owner responded to the demonstration by firing the guard, offering jobs to two of the pickets and the sponsorship of sports teams.