In these first few days of July alone, there have been at least two homicide investigations out of Hampton Roads. Several minors, one as young as six years old, are also on the mend after separate shootings Thursday and Friday.
“You just have a system that doesn’t work," said Kayla Hicks, president of Sustain Equity Group. She told 13News Now that the cycle of generational poverty is partly to blame for the violence and that there’s too easy of access to firearms.
Stacey Robinson is another advocate in the area. He’s with the group Kings in Need of Development.
“A lot of it has to do with marginalized communities," said Robinson. He says that things like economics, education, homelessness and gangs play a role. It's a multi factor leading to that," said Robinson.
Both Robinson and Hicks want to pick up the momentum on dialogue and pave the path for change.
“Moving forward its going take collaboration of individuals from different backgrounds and across the aisle to come together," said Hicks.
21-year-old Nina Rosson never imagined she’d lose a loved one to gun violence.
"He's touched so many hearts on his 26 years on this earth, he will never be forgotten," said Rosson.
She describes her cousin, John Caldarera, as someone family and friends could always count on.
The 26-year-old victim was killed in a quadruple shooting in Chesapeake Thursday.
"You see it on the news all the time. And you think how horrible it is. When it happens to you personally, it's definitely an eye opener," said Rosson.
That same shooting injured a man, a boy and a girl.
Rosson is fundraising online to cover the costs for her cousin’s cremation – hoping to give him the "greatest farewell."
Click here if you'd like to view the GoFundMe page.