NORFOLK, Va. — Mothers who have lost their children to gun violence are coming together to share their grief.
A group called “A Warm Embrace” held its first meeting Saturday afternoon.
For Roycinda Alexander, it’s a steppingstone in the healing process.
“When you kill someone… you just don’t kill that person. You kill the whole family dynamic," she said.
Alexander lost her son, Darren Gray, to gun violence and 13 years later, her pain is still palpable.
“Just getting through the daily stuff is tough for me," she said. "You know, I have anxiety, PTSD. It's just a whole lot of stuff."
But now, Alexander has a group of people to lean on that have all felt the same pain. “A Warm Embrace” brings together mothers who have lost a child to gun violence.
“It’s called ‘Embrace’ because we need to love on each other…We need that togetherness. We need that bonding," Alexander said.
Norfolk City Councilman J.P. Paige led the conversation, and Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi showed up in support as well.
“There’s nothing like the bond that a mother has with her children," Fatehi said to the group.
Fatehi noted that out of the 20 most recent homicides in the City of Norfolk, all but two have involved guns. He said the uptick of gun usage in the last 50 years has resulted in a significant nationwide decrease in police solving homicides.
“Gun murders are inherently more difficult for the police to solve,” Fatehi said.
The group of about two dozen people shared memories of their loved ones and discussed ways to put an end to the violence. Some mentioned conflict resolution skills, healing generational trauma and mental health resources.
“We have to get in front of it. What happens before the trigger gets pulled? How did we get here?” Councilman Paige said.
Alexander encouraged other mothers who’ve lost a child to gun violence, to come out to the next meeting. She said the grief of losing a child is something you can’t deal with alone.
“I know we can help each other,” Alexander said.
Organizers said this is just the first of many meetings, but they’re still working to iron out a schedule.