Clayton Ferris knew firsthand that it takes a village to raise a child, yet when he encountered an 11-year-old drug dealer in his West Philadelphia neighborhood, he didn’t call for backup.
Instead, Clayton counseled the boy that there are other ways to make money, such as washing cars or sweeping the streets — activities that, albeit less glamorous, might prevent a young man from getting robbed or murdered.
Clayton didn’t sugarcoat the truth, said his cousin, Aneesha Pinnock. He knew the consequences of falling down that rabbit hole. He, too, began selling drugs as a tween, shortly before his father, Rohan Haughton, also a dealer, was gunned down.
Clayton and Rohan were very close, Aneesha recalled, and they often took road trips to the movies, restaurants or shopping. Rohan was firmly against his son getting involved in the drug trade, she said.
After his father’s death, “Lil Roh,” as Clayton was called, got kicked out of West Philadelphia High School but eventually earned his degree through a Community Education Partners alternative school in the city. Later, he served prison time on drug charges.
After he was released about six years ago, Clayton realized that he wasn’t getting any younger, Aneesha recalled.
“He wanted to live life where he didn’t have to look over his shoulder for cops or people on the streets who didn’t like him,” she said.
After working warehouse jobs, he joined with a few relatives and saved up enough money to buy a heat press machine during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were creating original designs to emblaze on T-shirts and sweatsuits.
Clayton was excited about the venture, convinced that he was going to “break the generational curse,” Aneesha said.
But on June 17, 2021, Clayton was fatally shot in the 300 block of South 53rd St. near where he was living in West Philadelphia. He received an Islamic burial at Glenwood Memorial Gardens in Broomall. Police have made no arrests in the case.
Aneesha, who lived with Clayton for a couple years after his father died, remembered that he was very protective of his younger sister and felt responsible for keeping her safe. Later in life, he transferred that vigilance to his nieces and nephews and to the entire block.
Deprived of a stable upbringing, “he tried to fix that hurt with other kids,” Aneesha said.
Growing up, Clayton was nicknamed “Khalil” by his family in honor of his Jamaican heritage. He enjoyed reggae music, pickup basketball games and dressing to impress. His father spoiled him with Gucci and Fendi.
Clayton was popular with the ladies, but, when things got serious, he asked Aneesha’s advice on how to be a good boyfriend. Three years ago, he and his longtime girlfriend had a daughter, Mila, who hollered whenever her dad left her side and couldn’t be consoled until he sang “Baby Shark” to her on speakerphone.
“I’m scared that I’m not going to be what this little girl needs,” Clayton confided to Aneesha upon hearing his daughter’s heartbeat for the first time.
“He was thinking about the drama from the past,” she said. “He didn’t want his daughter to see that part of his life.”
Last year, Aneesha started a podcast, “It Will Not Be Televised,” to discuss the escalating gun violence in Philadelphia.
“It has split my family apart,” she wrote in a recent e-mail. “Most importantly, it has made me open up my eyes and realize that something or someone has to voluntarily make a change in order for Philadelphia to become a place where children who [barely] can walk can enjoy themselves without getting shot in the head or witness their loved ones die in front of them.”
At her father’s funeral, Mila kept trying to grab the hand of his life size cutout.
Soaring above the clouds on a recent trip to Florida, she exclaimed, “We’re in the sky with daddy.”
A reward of up to $20,000 is available to anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Clayton’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS or the Philadelphia Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
Leave a Reply