CHESAPEAKE, Va. — In the City of Portsmouth, a family is experiencing terrible grief; eight miles away in Chesapeake, a community is shouldering some of that pain.
Pastor Jonathan Foster, of New Mount Olive Baptist Church, says he was compelled to reach out to the family of a young boy who was shot and killed on Farragut Street Friday night.
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"I was scrolling on Facebook and I just saw his picture over and over and over again. Then I saw the status of the mother. It was just gut-wrenching I could not believe it," said Pastor Foster.
After some discussion with the family, Foster wanted to make sure the last thing on their minds was how they were going to pay to put their son to rest Foster.
"We'll write the funeral home a check for the funeral services so the parents won't have to worry about how they're going to bury their child. I reminded them as I left their home yesterday that they don't have to worry about the clothes that will go on him," said Foster.
Foster is a dad of three. His son is close in age to the ten-year-old who was tragically killed. He told News 3 that no amount of protection can guarantee the safety of a child.
"You try to make sure that the door is locked at night so that intruders won't come in you try to make sure they have a seat belt on when you're driving in the car but to be in the house and to have a stray bullet come through the house and shoot you, it's so very sad," said Foster.
On Sunday, Pastor Foster called the community to action to advocate against gun violence and asked that the children in the audience be brought up to the stage to be blessed.
Parents said that they think things need to change.
"We need to allocate resources to those communities that need them and take care of our children because that is our future and we are losing our future," said Eric Cain, a father and church member.
Malkia Lynch, another church member told News 3 that gun violence is robbing families and children of so much.
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"People don't live to see 20 sometimes, this young boy was ten years old it's just sad," said Lynch.
On Saturday night, police arrested 31-year-old Shawnday Nakisha Ross and charged her with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Currently, police are still looking for another person in connection to this homicide. Cleon Deonte Banks, 26, has been identified as a person of interest and is also considered armed and dangerous, police said.
As the church prepares to help lay to rest a little boy lost too soon to gun violence, they have a message for the people responsible.
"I ask that they turn themselves in the family has gone through enough. It won't help but it will make it easier for the family to say see you later to their son," said Foster.
If you would like to help the church support this family during this difficult time you can call (757) 547-3313 or email the church at PastorFoster@nmobcva.com.
