Blooms & Berries Farm Market Fires Employee Kelly Bryant Rea After Racist Comment About Shooting Victim Shadeed Coggins

 

A seasonal employee at Blooms & Berries Farm Market has been terminated after posting a deeply offensive and racist comment in response to the shooting death of 18-year-old Shadeed Coggins, drawing swift condemnation from the public and an immediate response from the business's ownership.

Shadeed Coggins, 18, was fatally shot the previous evening in an incident that prompted community mourning and public discussion online. In the comments section of a post covering his death, Kelly Bryant Rea, who had been working as a part-time seasonal employee at Blooms & Berries Farm Market, posted a comment widely condemned as racist and dehumanizing toward the young victim and the broader community.

Once the comment was brought to the attention of the farm market's ownership, action was taken swiftly and without ambiguity. The Probst Family, who own and operate Blooms & Berries Farm Market, issued a formal public statement confirming Rea's immediate termination and condemning her words in the strongest possible terms. In their statement, the family described the comment as abhorrent and inexcusable, emphasizing that it stood in complete opposition to the values upon which their business was built.

The family extended a direct apology to every member of their community who was hurt by the comment, and specifically acknowledged Shadeed Coggins by name, stating that he deserved far better than to be spoken about in such a hateful manner following his tragic death.

The statement concluded with a firm declaration that racism of any kind has no place within their workplace, on their farm, or in their community, and that anyone comfortable expressing such hatred would never be welcome on their team.

The public response to the farm market's swift action has been largely positive, with many community members praising the Probst Family for their transparency and zero tolerance stance.