Barbershop Shooting Deepens Trauma in Boston Community Struggling with Gun Violence

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A Tragic Afternoon in Dorchester

On a warm and breezy Labor Day, Ateiya Sowers-Hassell enjoyed keeping the door open at Salvaged Roots, a natural hair salon and spa in the Four Corners section of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The salon was filled with soothing music as she worked on two clients, unaware that tragedy was about to unfold just next door.

Gunshots suddenly shattered the calm. Outside, people ran from Exclusive Barbershop. A panicked voice spoke to a 911 operator, reporting that someone had been shot in the head. With trembling hands, Sowers-Hassell stepped out and saw 20-year-old Elijah Clunie slumped in a barber’s chair, his haircut unfinished.

A Child Witnesses the Unthinkable

Amid the chaos, a 7-year-old boy stood frozen, his wide eyes fixed on Clunie’s lifeless body. Seeing his distress, Sowers-Hassell gently guided him into the salon, keeping him safe until his father arrived. The boy gasped, “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” Later, he confided that he never wanted to get a haircut again.

The Violation of a Sacred Space

For generations, barbershops and salons have been cherished as safe havens in Black communities—places of laughter, debate, and healing, where barbers and stylists serve as unofficial therapists. When gun violence invades these spaces, it shatters more than just lives; it breaks an unspoken bond of security and trust.