Growing up in northeast Philadelphia, I made routine trips with my mom to the local nail salon. Though she bounced around to a few places, they all had a few things in common. For one, the smell of acrylic and lacquer was enough to knock you on your butt. There was always chatter, and typically there were always a few kids of the employees or owner hanging out at their family’s business. The latter was my favorite part; I befriended so many of them and often got the opportunity to play with them at empty stations or watch cartoons with them in the back.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that most of the salons in the US are mom-and-pop shops and are often full of family members and employees, which sadly means that in higher-crime areas, kids may be exposed to a lot of potential hazards, The Syngergist reported. In November 2013, a Florida family felt the impact of that reality when their small business was robbed and it escalated into the murder of a 10-year-old boy.
Twelve years later, Law & Crime reported, Anthawn Ragan, 31, finally entered a guilty plea to 14 felonies in connection to the armed robbery of a nail salon that ended in the killing of young Aaron Vu. Ragan also reportedly shot the young boy’s father as well and pleaded guilty to attempted murder. According to Local 10, police say Ragan and another man broke into the North Miami salon and demanded money from the staff and customers at gunpoint. Ragan set off several rounds in the shop, killing Vu and injuring his father.
The crime was part of a “rampage” he inflicted upon the area, where he also reportedly held up a Royal Castle and a dry cleaners, as well as murdered a Motel 7 employee, a crime that he was found guilty of in 2025.
The little boy’s death at the time rocked the community. In his obituary, Vu was remembered as being survived by his parents, Hai Nam, who was injured in the same incident and Lindsey Ma. He also had a sister, Caroline Vu, and brother, Brandon Vu, plus maternal and paternal grandparents, several aunts, uncles and cousins who all loved him.
“My heart will never be the same now that I know Aaron is not here,” wrote one of the salon’s customers commented on his obituary. “Although, I only knew Aaron from conversations with his mother and father at the salon, I know they love Aaron and will miss him very much. I pray that God give the Vu family strength to go on and peace to understand Aaron’s life purpose.”
Ragan now faces the death penalty once again, as well as a life sentence without parole. He is due to appear in court on February 4, 2026.
