Taken Too Soon: Mothers in Pain
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - As gun violence statistics are shattering records in Philadelphia, CBS3 anchor Natasha Brown sat down with a group of mothers whose lives have forever been changed by senseless crime.
The organization Mothers In Charge was founded by Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight in 2003 after the tragic murder of her son Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson in 2001. Dr. Johnson-Speight created a safe space for mothers to find solace in each other and it led to the organization going national. Chapters have been established in Harrisburg, PA, New York, NY, New Jersey State, Kansas City, MO, St. Louis, MO, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Berkley, CA.
In an emotional session with Natasha Brown, mothers opened up about how their lives will never be the same. Natasha met with mothers who lost their children several years ago to others whose stories are still fresh, including Amy Lounsberry whose son Milan Loncar was killed while walking his dog in Fairmount in January 2021. The mothers' wishes are to put an end to the violence and raise awareness about the everlasting pain gun violence wreaks on families.
You can hear the mothers' heart-wrenching stories below:
CBS3 would like to thank the following women that participated in this special report:
- Amy Lounsberry, son 25-year-old Milan Loncar killed on January 13, 2021
- Cherisse Pearson, son 17-year-old Theodore Crawford killed on April 16, 2022
- Latrice Felix, son 28-year-old Alan Womack Jr. killed on February 28, 2020
- Ruth Donnelly, son 19-year-old Justin Donnelly killed on July 2001
- Rachael Reyes-Vazquez, father 51-year-old Rafael Vazquez, killed in October 2017
- Dr. Dorothy Johnson, son 24-year-old Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson killed on December 6, 2001
- Janice Bryant and grandmother Mary Bryant, lost 20-year-old son and grandson Zamir Bryant Cyrus on June 28, 2022
- Elizabeth Carroll, son 23-year-old Shyheim Jones on Sept. 15, 2020
- Aleida Garcia, son 34-year-old Alejandro Rojas-Garcia on January 2015
- Kimberly White-Hartwell, husband 54-year-old Donald Hartwell on April 8, 2021
- Sheila Ward, son 30-year-old William O. Ward Jr. killed in 2005