Mothers who lost children to gun violence gather on Chicago's South Side, seeking healing and hope
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Several Chicago mothers came together Sunday to honor and remember the children they have lost to gun violence.
The dinner in the South Shore neighborhood was organized and hosted by the family of Daveon Gibson, a 16-year-old boy shot and killed on Jan. 31 after leaving Senn High School.
Daveon was the fourth Chicago Public Schools student to be killed in the first 31 days of 2024. Now his family is ending the year remembering him and other young victims of gun violence.
Darius Johnson sat with this family just days after Daveon was shot and killed in January. To see their strength and how they are giving back to others feeling the same pain today is remarkable.
"It's really hard by me losing my baby, and next month going to be a year," said Daveon's mother, Chevonna Myles. "I miss his hug, I miss his voice, I miss everything about my baby."
Sunday night in South shore, there was grieving, but there was also community and fellowship among a group of mothers who lost loved ones to gun violence as they came together to find hope and to heal.
"I just woke up, and I'm like, I'm just going to have a dinner, start it off with at least 25 people, moms," Myles said.
Myles said she's not in a holiday mood, but was in the spirit of uplifting others – a tall task for a grieving mother.
"She was in a dark space. For her to want to do an event, it means she was opening up to people," said Daveon's grandmother, Sherry Wesley.
"I want these women to open up to let them know we is not alone. It's other people going through the same thing you going through, and I just feel like I want to take this to another level to keep my baby's name alive," Myles said.
Among those in the crowd was Jessica Thomas. She knows the pain of Daveon's family, having lost three nephews – Ahmad Smith in 2017, and brothers Jaylan and Timothy Lockhart in 2023.
"Just to be around women and let them know that you are not alone in this walk, and know that someone will walk with you, it's a beautiful experience," she said.
Thomas said she's standing here because "God is good."
"Through the strength of God, I'm making it," she said.
Strength is what's holding these women together, and they have a plea for other mothers – other parents – who might not find themselves in the same room on Sunday.
"We all know what our kids do. As a parent, let's get these kids the help they need," Wesley said. "We need to love on our kids and get it together."
A 14-year-old and 17-year-old are facing felony charges in Daveon's death. His mother said she's leaving justice in God's hands.
Meantime, she said next year is about wrapping her arms around more mothers and helping to keep children out of the streets.