Community leaders and gun violence prevention advocates gathered in downtown Lexington Tuesday with hopes that violence wouldn’t be prevalent in Lexington this summer.
The plea came during National Youth Violence Prevention Week and weeks before end-of-school-year celebrations and summer festivities. Mayor Linda Gorton led a press conference and asked for youth across the city to avoid violence.
“Let’s celebrate graduations and summer safely,” Gorton said. “I am calling on all of our young people to be part of this safe summer.”
This year the city has had four homicides, which is six fewer than the number reported at this point in 2022. The most recent homicide happened Thursday when Timonte Harris, 43; and Lakeisha Hill, 32, were shot and killed on Chestnut Street.
Gorton credited the work of Lexington, led by director Devine Carama. There has been a 75% decrease in gun violence from 2021 through the first quarter of 2023, according to the city.
“That’s good progress, however, we want that number to drop to zero, and to stay at zero,” Gorton said.
Carama also credited Gorton’s motivation for curbing gun violence.
“She’s one of the first, if not the first mayor, that’s actually met with a group of mothers who have lost children to gun violence,” Carama said. “And it wasn’t just a one-time thing. It’s a commitment that she has made and we are following in her leadership.”
Carama said ONE Lexington will partner with Andrew Brothers Counseling for its summer program coming up. Ninety-five percent of the kids in the summer program have been directly impacted by gun violence, Carama said.
“We all remember how challenging last summer was,” Carama said. “We don’t want this summer to be like last summer.”
Councilmembers Shayla Lynch, Liz Sheehan, Chuck Ellinger II, Tayna Fogle, Jennifer Reynolds and Vice Mayor Dan Wu were present during the press conference.
Mothers of victims share their stories
Two mothers impacted by gun violence shared their experiences and grief during the press conference.
Deana Howard, whose 19-year-old son Sean Howard was shot and killed while sitting in a car in the parking lot at Mist Lake Plaza in August 2017, shared the story of the final time she saw her son. Shortly after he was pronounced dead at a hospital, she was told she couldn’t touch her son because he was part of a crime scene.
“Imagine your child, who you brought into this world and carried and you picked up and you felt that first embrace, and you want to feel the last one when they go out, but you’ve been denied it because someone decided that it is their power and their right to take their child,” Deana Howard said.
A man was later charged in the case but acquitted during a trial in October 2021. Deana Howard said her son’s case will never be solved and she has to live with the grief continuously.
“You don’t affect that person when you take them,” Deana Howard said. “When you take that person, and you settle that score you think you settled, they don’t suffer anymore. The people that are suffering are their families that are left behind. My children are suffering.”
One of Sean Howard’s siblings decided to pursue a career as a criminal prosecutor in response to the acquittal.
“I’m trying to make a change, I’m just asking you to think what can you do,” said Shelby Howard at a community gathering in June. “Support your community. Support events like these. Support your friends and family who have lost someone to gun violence, and vote.”
Priscilla Sandifer, whose 20-year-old daughter Amaya Taylor-Sandifer was shot and killed at Green Acres Park off LaSalle Road in May, said life has been completely different since she lost her daughter. She described it as her new life.
Amaya Taylor-Sandifer was Priscilla Sandifer’s only daughter. She said she and her daughter had a tight relationship, and it still hurts nearly a year after the shooting to have that relationship severed.
“I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking that I’m hearing her walk up and down the steps,” Priscilla Sandifer said.
Amaya Taylor-Sandifer’s case was still open as of Tuesday, one of the 15 murder cases from 2022 still unsolved.
“I know there’s people out there that know who did it, what happened,” Priscilla Sandifer said.