'A Mother's Love' Reflects On Minneapolis's Deadly Year, Filled With Young Victims

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- At least 80 people have been killed across Minneapolis in 2020 -- a 70% jump over this time last winter.

Since 2014, Lisa Clemons and members of A Mother's Love Initiative have been tracking the number of people killed on Minneapolis streets.

"Behind every trauma on this board lies a mother who is still grieving," Clemons said. "The year doesn't matter. She's still grieving."

It has been a truly difficult year because of the number of murder victims under the age of 20.

"It's so many young people on the list, and I don't even have to know them to say they are a part of me," Clemons said.

Five-hundred people have been shot so far this year, and 113 of them under the age of 20. This latest shooting in the city is the 14th kid killed before graduating high school.

Most of the women gathered here have lost loved ones as well, including Kim Griffin.

"I grieve for my son on a daily basis, and each time there's a life lost in these streets, it just knocks the scab off of my weeping wound," Griffin said.

They're called to every crime scene in the city, and 2020 has seen 60 kids under 18 hit by gunfire. Sharon White is a member of A Mother's Love and a teacher.

"I called all of my parents to make sure they kids are at home, that they're not going to end up missing school because they've been shot in the street," White said. "And it's the violence, it just getting unreal and we've got to pull together."

Clemons is asking the community to come together, and not ignore what is going on.

"I don't care if your son or daughter was the shooter or the victim. We are not going to make this change unless we unite as Black mothers in our community," Clemons said. "This is a callout to Black mothers. We need you, we need your voice and we need to make change together."

Clemons also hopes lawmakers will start working with the community in Minneapolis to find ways to stop the violence.