JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mothers living in Northwest Jacksonville who are fed up with gun violence took to the steps of City Hall on Tuesday. The group is asking for everything from infrastructure to jobs so that more young people are not lost to violence.
The stories they told on the steps of city hall -- “It’s such a hurtful thing to see your son, the next time you see him the only thing he is is a skeleton,” one mother said.
They are beyond heartbreaking. “I’m begging and pleading. Help. We’re losing our children. It don’t supposed to be like this,” another mother said.
These are moms who have lost children to gun violence. They were called together by a state representative looking to send a message inside city hall and the governor’s office that too many killings are happening, in neighborhoods where there’s no shopping and many children drive across town to other schools.
This follows a bloody 2022 so far. Compared to last year, there have been 61 homicides and 49 murders so far in 2022 -- well over last year’s total of 52 homicides and 40 murders at the same point.
“A lot of crime is happening in areas where there is poverty,” State Representative Angie Nixon said. “Where there are schools that are not A and B schools and there are not amenities.”
Moms like Robin Clemons, whose son Timothy Thomas Junior was killed last year, showed up to the rally. Timothy’s killer has not been found.
“It’s rough. It is very rough,” Clemons said. “I know these parents are going through it. There’s no way these parents are going through it. There’s no way you’re going to wake up in peace. No matter how old they are, they’re still our kids.”
The moms expressed that violence has been spiking in Northwest Jacksonville, particularly where schools are crumbling, infrastructure and drainage needs help and they simply can’t get businesses to start there -- meaning young people struggle to find jobs.
“Our stories are not the only stories. There’s way too many stories for us to keep telling and not to do anything about it.”
One interesting issue brought up was by a woman whose grown children were killed and now she says she’s raising her grandchildren. She says their parent’s medical insurance was dropped after their death and she’s been forced to pay for their medical costs out of pocket ever since.