For years, Cudell Commons Park had been a site of pain and sorrow for Samaria Rice. It's where her 12-year-old son, Tamir, was shot and killed by Cleveland police in 2014 after a 911 caller reported the child was waving a gun around and scaring people. The gun turned out to be a toy.

But Samaria and her community worked to metamorphose the site into a place of healing. It's now a butterfly-shaped memorial garden , lush with native plants like milkweed that attract and feed the winged insects, colorful stone mosaics and, of course, a plaque and heartfelt dedication to Tamir's life and memory.

1 of 4 — Tamir Rice Memorial Butterfly Park Tamir Rice Memorial Butterfly park as seen from above. Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media

2 of 4 — Tamir Rice Memorial plaque The Ta

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