NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Students are Heritage High School (HHS) are mourning the loss of classmate Ke'Ron Bowles. Police said someone shot and killed the 18-year-old near Roanoke Avenue and 27th Street on Tuesday, shortly after 5 p.m.
In an email from HHS principal Dr. Earling Hunter to families Wednesday, he shared with a heavy heart news of a student's death. He mentioned counseling and emotional support services would be available.
A gun violence survivor himself, Cameron Bertrand is the founder of Violence Intervention & Prevention LLC and he mentors local youth. He was one of the grief and mental health counselors who were present at HHS on Wednesday.
Bertrand shared with 13News Now a photo of one of his mentees, Ke'Ron Bowles.
"A lot of people were distraught today, so we have to remember that was a young man who was about the graduate, excel in life. He enjoyed music, he enjoyed spending time with friends," Bertrand said.
Several of Ke'Ron's loved ones joined police officers for a CARE walk in the Southeast community Wednesday afternoon.
"Letting the community we are here for them, and also seeing if there are any information we can gather from residents in the area," said Capt. Alison Funaiock of the Newport News Police Department.
Back at Heritage High, Bertrand reflected on the somber feeling on Wednesday: "A lot of the kids were in so much pain that they couldn't go back to class. They spent 7 a.m. till about 1 p.m. with us, the counselors."
By evening time, he carried over conversations at a town hall meeting at Warwick High School.
There, nonprofit leaders, parents, activists, School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law, and even Mayor Phillip Jones gathered.
Parent Dana Robbins opened up to the crowd of roughly 50 people. Robbins is a mother of two Warwick High students.
"I'm just literally praying that they come home from high school, and there have been a lot of kids who obviously haven't. This strikes really close to me, because I'm from Uvalde, Texas. I went to school at Robb Elementary," she said.
Bertrand is teaming up with the Newport News Council of PTAs to spearhead monthly discussions, focused on solutions to curb gun violence.
"We have to walk away with a call to action because we have young people here watching, seeing what we're doing to protect them," he said.
Many speakers touched on the importance of mental health resources, creating opportunities for local youth, safety measures at schools, as well as responsible gun ownership.
Bertrand and the PTA council plan to have gun violence prevention town halls on the last Wednesday of every month. They will switch locations to different schools across Newport News.