NORFOLK, Va. — It’s been more than a week since Erika Sanders lost her son, 15-year-old Terreyon Moore, to gun violence.
Norfolk police say someone shot and killed the teen in broad daylight on Vernon Drive in the Diggs Town area on October 19.
The mother said each day without Terreyon is a struggle.
“I feel like I’m moving, but I’m in a dream or something. It don’t feel real," she said.
On Sunday evening, anti-violence activists with the groups "Stop The Violence" and "Breaking Barriers 757" organized a prayer vigil. Community members, police officers, and city leaders came to support the grieving mother.
Sanders said it’s the only thing getting her through these tough times.
“[To] know that my baby was loved and cared for, not only by me, but the whole community," the mother said.
Sanders said the violence in her community needs to end.
“None of these kids that’s been dying like this deserve any of the things that they’re going through, and I want it to stop. I want these kids to know there’s a hope and a future outside of the park," she said.
Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot attended the vigil. He said in order to curb the violence, the community and police department must work together.
“When you have special challenges like we have in some of our neighborhoods, including this one, we need to make sure that they’re also partnered with us and telling us what they need," the chief said.
Talbot shared his hope for the future of the neighborhood.
"What I'd like to see is this neighborhood be safe for the kids to ride around," he said. "The vast majority of the time, you're not going to see a ton of kids out here playing because it's not always safe to do that, and parents don't feel safe to let their kids out."
Bilal Muhammad with Stop The Violence grew up in the Diggs Town area. He, too, hopes for change.
“Let’s be creative," he said. "Let’s come up with solutions, working together, bringing our resources together, so that this type of incident never occurs again in these particular communities.”
Norfolk police have not yet released any details about a suspect in the shooting. However, Sanders believes her son’s killer will be brought to justice.
Anyone with information is asked to reach out to the Crime Line by calling 1-888-562-5887 or using P3 Tips online.