Autumn Merrick, Killed In Crash During Downtown Minneapolis Shootout, Honored By Youth-Led Bakery She Helped Found
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- So much potential, snatched away in the blink of an eye. Autumn Merrick was killed when a car involved in a downtown Minneapolis shootout drove onto the sidewalk and hit her.
Now a group of her friends with Green Garden Bakery , which Merrick helped found, are taking steps to continue her legacy of giving.
"She was small and mighty and she just brought so much personality to everything Green Garden Bakery did for the community," said Elana Dahlberg, of the group Urban Strategies.
Merrick and a group of her friends created urban garden beds, where they grow vegetables to turn into delicious desserts to sell to the community.
"Autumn can't physically be with us, but that doesn't mean that she can't be a part of Green Garden Bakery," D'Loveantea Allen said.
Merrick was killed near the North Loop while riding a scooter home from work. She was run down by one of two vehicles where the people inside were engaged in a running gun battle.
"So to keep her memory alive in the business, as well as in the world, we thought we'd name the box after her," Allen said.
Inside the box are Merrick's favorite dessert: beet brownies. There's also a body scrub created just for her.
"We named it the Autumn Rose scent," Kiaree Jackson said.
Green Garden Bakery used vanilla, tea tree and geranium oils to create a scent that represent Autumn's beauty, strength and drive.
"So we combined those essential oils to make this scent with rose petals and we're dedicating it to our friend," Jackson said.
And that's not all.
The building the business is run out of was purchased in 2019 by Merrick and her Green Garden Bakery friends.
The group is naming the commercial kitchen the Autumn Rose Green Garden Bakery Kitchen.
The hope is people feel welcome to visit the kitchen and coffee shop, engage with young people and continue to create community, just like Merrick wanted.
The Autumn Rose Box
The Autumn Rose Box can be ordered for $20. The proceeds go to her family.
You can order the boxes online for pickup on Oct. 30 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., or they can be delivered on the Oct. 31 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.