MINNEAPOLIS — Editor’s note: Minneapolis police originally told Cody Pollard’s parents that he died in a mass shooting in Uptown. They have since discovered that he was shot and killed in a separate incident in downtown Minneapolis. Cody’s parents did not have this new information when this interview was conducted.
With broken hearts, Tracey Pollard and Roy Moore sat down to talk about their youngest child.
“Cody was our baby,” Tracey said. “He had the prettiest smile ever.”
Cody Pollard’s parents were originally told by police that he was a victim of a mass shooting in Uptown early Sunday morning that injured 11 other people.
Police reported on Tuesday that Cody was misidentified as a victim of that shooting during a “very chaotic scene” at Hennepin County Medical Center. They now believe he was shot in a separate incident in downtown Minneapolis, in the area of First Avenue and Seventh Street North, between 12:30 and 1 a.m. that same morning.
“It's so surreal that it happened Father’s Day,” Tracey said. “My son gets murdered on Father’s Day.”
Cody was the father of two children, 3-year-old Oshean and 4-month-old Khodi Simone.
He’d planned to marry his fiancé Quinisha this year, but the wedding was put on hold due to COVID-19.
“Just a loving, kind, caring dad to his son and to his fiancé. He adored her, and she adored him,” Cody’s mother said.
Cody grew up in St. Paul, graduated from a military school in Virginia, then found his passion back home as a barber at a shop on University Avenue. He hoped to open his own barber shop one day.
“Very active in the community,” Tracey said. “He gives back, he does free haircuts for people with challenges in their family that can't really afford haircuts.”
Roy said he and Cody would likely have had dinner together on Father’s Day.
“It's devastating man, I miss my son,” Roy said. “He's a loving kid, every time he sees me, he runs to me, ‘Hey dad give me a kiss and everything.”
Both parents are calling for an end to the violence that took their son's life.
Tracey had a message for the shooter.
“Whoever it is or the people, Ms. Pollard forgives you. I do,” she said. “It ain't gonna bring my son back even if they went to jail, but as a woman of God and a woman of the word, I forgive them.”
Tracey wiped away tears. ”I'm shattered, I'm devastated,” she said. But we have to move on. My son lives on through his beautiful children and we're going to do what we have to do to make sure they have a wonderful life.”