Visalia remembers 16-year-old whose mural was painted over

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Lil Paul Freeman II would person turned 16 years aged connected Thursday, May 15, a day his friends and household gathered to retrieve successful Visalia pursuing the arguable removal of Freeman's commemorative mural.

On July 27, 2024, Paul Freeman II's beingness was chopped abbreviated successful a fatal clang astatine the intersection of West Riggins Avenue and North Court Street. On May 15, 2025, friends and household gathered to observe Lil Paul's beingness connected what would person been successful 16th birthday.

"I cognize helium was watching down and he's happy," Lil Paul's parent Chasity Parnell said. "I deliberation he's arrogant of us."

Paul Freeman Sr. says his lad was a talented flat-track motorcycle rival and an avid BMX rider. Freeman Sr. says helium and his lad traveled the state for competitions.

"He got a clump of awards past year," Freeman Sr. said. "He placed 2nd and 3rd successful a mates of classes and helium was conscionable getting connected the bigger bikes."

The non-profit that Lil Paul rode with, The Academy BMX, dedicated a mural to him astatine Provident Skate Park successful Visalia. However, the metropolis says that the mural "had not been approved done the City’s ceremonial mural reappraisal process."

"As portion of the project’s last phase, metropolis crews conducted a thorough cleanup of the parkland grounds - arsenic portion of these efforts, graffiti was removed from Provident Skate Park."

Lil Paul's parents accidental the removal of the mural hurt, but it won't halt the assemblage from honoring and remembering Paul. They accidental that they program connected creating assemblage groups for grieving mothers and fathers.

"They don't person overmuch of that astir here," Parnell said. "They person groups and meetings for radical who mislaid their hubby oregon grandma - erstwhile you suffer a child, it's a full antithetic shot game."

Lil Paul's parents and organizers with The Academy BMX accidental they program to get a city-approved mural for Lil Paul Freeman to permanently grant him successful Visalia.