Tariq is a 16-year-old black teenager living in the Underhill neighborhood. The narrative centers entirely around his shooting outside a local convenience store and the conflicting ways people remember him. To his family, he is a dedicated older brother who helps around the house, while to others, he appears as a neighborhood bully or a willing recruit for the 8-5 Kings gang. His death forces the entire community to examine their biases and relationships to street violence.

Tyrell is a quiet, math-oriented teenager who relies entirely on his best friend Tariq for physical protection in their neighborhood. He avoids the violent 8-5 Kings gang by staying in Tariq's shadow, allowing him to focus on his education and college aspirations. With his protector gone, he faces intense pressure to join the gang and questions how to survive on the streets alone.

Jennica is a young woman who works at a local diner and runs with the 8-5 Kings gang through her boyfriend. When the shooting occurs, she instinctively rushes across the street to perform CPR, an action that deeply traumatizes her. The visceral reality of the incident causes her to reevaluate her complacency and her association with street violence.

Noodle serves as the second-in-command for the 8-5 Kings gang under Brick's leadership. He harbors a strong personal dislike for Tariq and views the shooting as a minor inconvenience rather than a tragedy. He eagerly uses the media attention surrounding the incident to bolster the gang's public image while exerting controlling behavior over his girlfriend.

Brick is the powerful and intimidating leader of the 8-5 Kings gang. He values loyalty and physical strength, actively attempting to recruit local youths into his ranks to build a formidable street presence. He views his organization as a protective community force and uses the tragedy to demand street justice and consolidate his own authority in Underhill.

Tina is Tariq's developmentally disabled younger sister. She processes the trauma of her brother's absence through literal interpretations of the world, focusing on physical objects like locked doors, hidden knives, and monsters under her bed. She relies heavily on her family to help her understand the sudden influx of strangers, police, and tension in her home.

Reverend Sloan is an out-of-town politician and public figure who travels to Underhill to involve himself in the fallout of the shooting. He explicitly hopes the high-profile case will boost his lagging poll numbers. He wrestles with feelings of guilt and hypocrisy as he balances his public demands for racial justice with his private political calculations and personal temptations.

Kimberly is a 19-year-old hairstylist who views the local gang culture with absolute contempt. She remembers Tariq primarily as a cruel childhood bully who mocked her appearance. Her proximity to the neighborhood tragedy unexpectedly connects her with Reverend Sloan, offering her a glimpse of a different, more glamorous life outside the confines of Underhill.

Will is a teenager who creates street art under the secret tag name "eMZee." Although his mother relocated them to a safer, wealthier area, he regularly sneaks back into Underhill at night to paint. He uses his graffiti to process his emotions and maintain a connection to his old neighborhood, actively resisting his wealthy stepfather's attempts to sever his ties to the streets.

Tom is a white man who has lived quietly in Underhill for twenty years without incident. He observes the shooting from afar and firmly believes the killing was a justified act of self-defense against an armed gang member. He loans his car to the shooter and later offers him shelter, though the growing community outrage slowly forces him to reexamine his rigid assumptions about race and justice.

Jack Franklin is the white man who shoots and kills Tariq Johnson in the street. He claims he saw a weapon and acted entirely to defend a frightened passerby. He faces immediate backlash from the community but is quickly released by the police without charges, an action that sparks widespread protests and debates over self-defense laws and racial profiling.

Sammy is a low-level member of the 8-5 Kings who directly witnesses the shooting. He was best friends with Tariq, Tyrell, and Junior when they were children, though his decision to join the gang fractured their tight-knit group. He carries a weapon and runs drug routes, struggling with the heavy knowledge of what really happened on the street that day.

Junior is a former childhood friend of Tariq who is currently serving a life sentence for a gang-related murder. He took the fall for a senior gang member when he was younger, binding his life permanently to the justice system. From behind bars, he offers a bleak perspective on the inescapable pull of neighborhood violence and racial bias.

Vernesha is Tariq and Tina's mother. She sends Tariq to the store for supplies on the day of the shooting, an action that haunts her. The sudden loss of her son plunges her into deep grief, leaving her to handle relentless media attention, aggressive police searches of her home, and the massive challenge of caring for her disabled daughter.

Redeema is Tariq's grandmother and a highly respected elder in the Underhill neighborhood. She is fiercely protective of her family and carries the heavy burden of trying to keep Tariq out of gang life through strict rules and chores. She provides vital emotional stability for her daughter and granddaughter as their home is invaded by reporters and law enforcement.

Brian is a passerby who steps in front of Tariq to stop him, mistakenly believing Tariq has stolen groceries from a shop owner. His physical intervention directly precedes the fatal shooting. He initially tells the police he thought he saw a weapon, but he becomes increasingly uncertain about his memory as media scrutiny intensifies.

Rocky is the owner of the local convenience store where Tariq purchases his groceries, including a Snickers bar. He steps outside his shop to call after Tariq about forgotten change, a simple action that inadvertently sets off the chaotic chain of events leading to the shooting. He deals directly with aggressive police questioning regarding his customer's character.

Steve is Will's wealthy stepfather who lives across town from Underhill. He holds strict, conservative views about appearances, respectability, and rule-following, often clashing with his stepson over Will's continued attachment to his old, impoverished neighborhood.

Melody is a young woman working at an assisted-living residence in Underhill. She shares a gentle, nostalgic connection to Tariq, remembering him fondly as a perfect gentleman and the boy who gave her her first kiss.

Ms. Rosalita is a 94-year-old neighborhood elder who has served as a midwife to countless Underhill residents. She provides a historical and spiritual perspective on the community's cycles of life, birth, and unnatural death, serving as a silent guardian for the neighborhood.

Terence is Tariq and Tina's absentee father. He occasionally reappears in their lives, causing immediate emotional friction within the household. He fails to provide a consistent parental presence, drawing the judgment of outside observers who view him as a symptom of community breakdown.

Sheila is Brick's developmentally delayed sister. She lives in an assisted-living facility and recognizes Tariq on the news, connecting the boys through their shared experiences of caring for sisters with special needs.

Angelica is Jennica's aunt and primary guardian. She attempts to provide for her niece and monitor her well-being, growing increasingly concerned when Jennica displays severe signs of trauma and malnutrition.