Shawn's message was also reportedly posted on the Nextdoor app, which connects neighbors together. In response, Shawn's community showed their support and walked with him.

"I was afraid to walk by myself

Shawn's message was also reportedly posted on the Nextdoor app, which connects neighbors together. In response, Shawn's community showed their support and walked with him.

"I was afraid to walk by myself in my childhood neighborhood, because I was afraid I wouldn't live to see another day," Shawn wrote to his followers on Instagram over the weekend. "When I shared this fear with my neighbors they said we will walk with you. This is only the beginning!!!!"

Shawn later returned to social media to thank everyone for their support.

"Thank you for walking with me and making me feel human and heard," he wrote. "Your support at this time has meant the world to me. However, you haven't just impacted me, you have also impacted others who look like me, talk like me, and feel like me. You've impacted the world!"