CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Those touched by gun violence gathered at a community center in Chesapeake Saturday afternoon. They're calling for justice.
"Bring in the love, bring in the unity, bring in the support. We are living in a time where we must unite more," community activist Bilal Muhammad told the crowd.
Bilal Muhammad lost his youngest son Ali Muhammad last June to gun violence. He said he had been on the phone with his son at the time.
Ali Muhammad left behind many loved ones including three daughters.
"He was everything to my girls. He was my family as well . . . So, it's really hurtful, you know, to go on with life without him. It's a big difference. I just fight through it every day, at least try to. But we're going to get through it," said Kelly Shaw, mother of Ali Muhammad's children.
The heartbreak is all too familiar for too many.
Just this week in Hampton Roads three people have been killed in shootings according to our homicide tracker. The most recent incident was a shooting on Valentine's Day that left a 29-year-old dead inside a Wingstop in Hampton. These shootings bring the year-to-data total to 22 killed.
These aren't "just numbers" to the families.
"Because the girls, his three daughters, are hurting so dearly. And he had a great prominent future ahead of him," said Bilal Muhammad.
That's why he said it's important to come together.
"And let the community know we are no longer going to tolerate this type of crime and this type of violence," said Bilal Muhammad.
The man accused of killing Ali Muhammad, Jalen Garces, is due in court Feb. 21. Garces is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
"I hope that he gets life," said Shaw. "And I hope that we can find a way to have some type of peace."
In the meantime, anti-gun violence activists in Hampton Roads are working to invest in communities by building up trauma-informed resources, educating, and spreading awareness. They say there's always more to be done.
