Birmingham has been hit by a deadly spate of shootings in recent days. Five men were killed in the span of four days and investigators are trying to make sense of the violence. Scott Thurmond spoke about the impact of gun violence while rallying for the union. “It’s hard and I’m trying to hold back the tears,” said Roselyn Johnson, who lost her son to gun violence. Katrina Carey and Roselyn Johnson’s sons Derrick Marks, Jr. and Del’Quan McNeily were best friends. They were killed just five hours apart in February 2020. Carey’s son was just 25 and Johnson’s was 21. “Some people say, ‘Oh, okay. That just happened,’ but when it gets personal, when it comes to your child, you have to feel that pain before it gets personal,” Carey said. The women shared their stories to encourage others to lay down their arms. “The cemetery is overcrowded. with our children,” Johnson said. “It’s sad”. Johnson said she knew one of the victims of Monday’s shooting in the East Lake area and said she was like a nephew and losing the people she loves feels like it’s becoming a never-ending cycle. “It’s like the day I got the call for my own son,” Johnson said. “It broke me down.” Thurmond hopes other families don’t have to deal with the same grief that these 38 women involved with What About Us have had after losing a loved one to gun violence. “Is it really worth taking someone’s life? Thurmond asked. “We call it a place of people and behaviors. Is it really worth engaging in behaviors and people you shouldn’t be engaging with? Unfortunately, those things cause a lot of harm to people.” The women hope that by using their voices they will help people see the value in another person’s life. about this,” Carey said. What About Us is partnering with 100 Black Men Deep Walk to host a Stop the Violence tour on April 16 to further their goal of ending senseless gun violence.
Birmingham has been hit by a deadly spate of shootings in recent days. Five men were killed in the span of four days and investigators are trying to make sense of the violence.
Two women involved with What About Us, a non-profit organization to support families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, and Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond spoke about the impact of gun violence while advocating for the union.
“It’s hard and I’m trying to hold back the tears,” said Roselyn Johnson, who lost her son to gun violence.
Katrina Carey and Roselyn Johnson’s sons Derrick Marks, Jr. and Del’Quan McNeily were best friends. They were killed just five hours apart in February 2020. Carey’s son was just 25 and Johnson’s was 21.
“Some people say, ‘Oh, okay. That just happened,’ but when it gets personal, when it comes to her child, she has to feel that pain before it gets personal,” Carey said.
The women shared their stories to encourage others to lay down their arms.
“The cemetery is full of our children,” Johnson said. “It’s sad.”
Johnson said he knew one of the victims of Monday’s shooting in the East Lake area and said he was like a nephew and losing the people he loves feels like it’s becoming a never-ending cycle.
“It’s like the day I got the call about my own son,” Johnson said. “It broke me down.”
Thurmond hopes other families don’t have to deal with the same grief that these 38 women involved with What About Us have had after losing a loved one to gun violence.
“Is it really worth taking someone’s life?” Thurmond asked. “We call it a place of people and behaviors. Is it really worth engaging in behaviors and people you shouldn’t be engaging with? Unfortunately, those things cause a lot of harm to people.”
The women hope that by using their voices they will help people see the value in another person’s life.
“We just want the violence to stop and maybe if people come together, maybe we can do something about it,” Carey said.
What About Us is partnering with 100 Black Men Deep Walk to host a Stop the Violence tour on April 16 to further their goal of ending senseless gun violence.