A New Bronze Plaque Will Honor the Life of Barry Washington, Jr.

A bronze memorial plaque for Barry Washington Jr., a man shot and killed in downtown Bend, will be unveiled in late September or early October.

Washington was 22 when he was killed at the corner of NW Wall Street and NW Oregon Avenue, on Sept. 19, 2021. Hundreds of people attended a vigil to honor Washington in the days after, the Source reported.

The 2.5-foot bronze plaque will feature an image of Washington, a Bible verse and a quote from Washington. Washington’s family wishes to keep those details private until the public unveiling, said Katherina Barguil, Bend’s community relations manager.

The plaque is being made by Noble Bronze, a choice made by Washington’s mother and local community members. The plaque will stand on a post anchored with concrete in the sidewalk near the corner of NW Wall Street and NW Oregon Avenue. The city’s Transportation & Mobility Department is determining its exact location, so the anchor doesn’t interfere with underground utilities.

The bronze plaque, which costs about $3,800, is still in production. Its cost was crowdfunded with help from Central Oregon Earthseeds, a mutual aid organization. The funds were raised in about a day. Washington had recently moved to Bend from the Bay Area.

Barguil has served as the City’s staff liaison to Washington’s family since October 2023. She said his loved ones have been a part of the entire planning process. They decided on the plaque’s design, its commission and requested the downtown installation. That’s where Washington was shot by Ian McKenzie Cranston, who was 27 at the time. That night, Washington had made a casual remark to Cranston’s partner and a fight ensued. Cranston is serving 10 years in prison, having been found guilty in November 2022 of manslaughter and the unlawful use of a weapon. He was found not guilty of second-degree murder.

Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said in a statement: “I can say that having sat with Barry’s mother at the trial and sentencing hearing, I know she was grateful for all the community support. I’m thankful for all the work by City staff and community members to support her vision for a memorial and to see it through to completion.”

Since Washington’s death, his family, friends and community members advocated the City for a permanent memorial.

The creation of Washington’s memorial inspired the City to develop its memorial policy, which sets guidelines for family members to submit an application for a loved one who has lost their life to violence in Bend. Barguil said in an email that the application process for future memorials is meant to be flexible and supportive, with care to navigate grief and other emotions throughout the process. (The city does not presently have a webpage detailing its memorial policy. Folks with questions about submitting a proposal should email Katherina Barguil at kbarguil@bendoregon.gov)

In keeping with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and other accessibility and community considerations, the memorial plaque will not get in the way of accessible parking or pedestrian use of the sidewalk.

Barguil wrote that the wellbeing, safety and thriving of all community members and visitors in Bend matter.

“Barry came to Bend a young man with hope and expectation in making Bend his home, and his life was taken too soon and in a violent way,” Barguil said. “He should still be here – for many in this community and beyond, he still is, continuing to transform the way we talk about safety, belonging and remembrance in Bend.”

Washington’s presence in Bend will be made permanent with the memorial plaque, she added.

“And now, in a way, Barry always will be here, his memory shared with us through the lens of his mother and family in the form of this memorial,” Barguil said.

This article appears in the Source September 18, 2025.