On May 28, 2000, Lori Gonzalez, granddaughter of then, Los Angeles police chief, Bernard Parks, was shot and killed while driving with a friend in her car in L.A.

She was an innocent victim caught up in what is believed to have been a gang-related attack, just a week shy of her 21st birthday.

A first-year student at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, she had graduated from Universal College of Beauty and planned to open her own salon one day. On June 7, 2000, Samuel Sharad Shabazz, age 18, was arrested for the murder of Lori and is now serving a life sentence.

Linda Whiting, 50, was attending a dinner party at her friend’s home, on March 13, 2011, in Phoenix, Arizona, when an argument between her friend’s 18-year son, a Detroit man, who was visiting his family, and his step-father became violent.

Linda Whiting was in the house when the shooting began, and tried to run outside to escape the 18-year-old shooter. He shot Linda, who was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.

ABC 15 Story: Family remembers innocent woman killed

Alma Washington, was murdered February 1989 in Los Angeles. She was sitting in her wheelchair looking out the window when a shot was fired at a boy running past her window. She was fatally struck by the bullets. Two boys were arrested; the 14 year-old juvenile was released early and other is served an unknown period of time.

An only child, Reginald L. Reese, 19 was shot to death in San Pedro, December 6, 1995. His body was found with multiple gunshot wounds, in a vacant parking lot near the San Pedro Harbor. Reginald was a student and worked for Spirit Cruise Lines. His case, like so many others remains unsolved.

Jennifer LeAnne Balber – 12/2/1973 – 11/10/1994

A SoCal Gas Co Meter Maid who was fatally shot in the line of service.  Jen was a 20 year old innocent victim of a senseless drive-by shooting.

May 5th 2009: my 13-year-old son, Draysean, was shot in his head.

It was at the end of the school year, right before graduation, and my son and some friends took it upon themselves to have a Jr. High School “ditch day”.

So my son was sitting with a group of Jr. High School kids in the front yard of a house around the corner from my son’s school. A rival gang member of that neighborhood came running down the street shooting into the crowd of kids killing my son and another, Andrew Peppers (16).

Draysean was not in a gang and was an honor roll student according the principle and teachers at Roosevelt Middle School. The school seemed not to find it strange that an honor roll student was at school in the morning then disappeared. Administrators never bothered to call his mother to inform her that her son was not in attendance.

A teenager armed with a gun he never should have had opened fire in a crowded Salt Lake City shopping mall. He shot me and killed five people, including my beautiful 15-year-old daughter, Kirsten.

After the shooting, I found out that the shooter was too young to legally buy his gun, but a pawn shop sold it to him anyway. The shop is still in business — and even kept the profit it made off this gun sale.

But with the help of the Brady Center’s Legal Action Project, we are holding that pawn shop accountable in court. The shop fought us all the way to the Utah Supreme Court, but the Brady Center’s attorneys helped me get my day in court, and we’re set for trial this year.

I don’t want another mom to lose her child, like I lost my daughter.

» News video, 5 years after the senseless attack.

On Sunday January 22, 2012 I woke up to the news that my younger cousin was murdered at a party at about 1:00 o’clock that morning. He was 22 years old and left behind 3 young children ages 3, 1, and 8 months old. He was very loyal to his friends and family and would be there whenever you needed him. The man who shot him turned himself in and had his first court appearance yesterday.

I’m glad that we will get justice for Neal but it will never take away the pain this has brought our family. My heart goes out to all the other families who have suffered the loss of a family member in this manner. I will miss my cousin everyday for the rest of my life. I love you Neal! Neal Alvin McCree Jr. 11/29/89-1/22/12.

Chace was loved by family, friends, and neighbors and that was expressed when I flew from NY to Gary, Indiana the morning he was shot. I arrived at the hospital and there were kids lining the walls of the hospital that reminded me of people waiting to get the hottest ticket to the biggest band. They were weary, crying, holding pillows because they had slept in the hallway for word that Chace was going to make it. I didn’t know them because he lived with my grandmother. So I had no idea they were there for him. As I was being escorted by the nurse to his room in ICU she told me these kids are here for him. We normally don’t allow this many people in the waiting room, but we felt they were so distraught we couldn’t turn them away. We arranged with the hospital for each of them to go in sets of two to say goodbye to him. I will hold on to that day because he only had 19 years to make his mark on the lives of others. That day I knew his mark was to love and be loved. As a parent I could not have asked for more of or for him. I will be lighting candles in memory of slain friends, strangers, and above all my only child.

My son accidentally shot and killed his friend Rachel. She was only 22 years old. He was only 25. The shock, horror, grief and sorrow that went through both families, their friends and the community cannot be measured.

He had been robbed and was fearful which I understand, but what I’ll never understand is that he managed to get an illegal firearm, had it loaded and was out in public carrying it.

I always believed that no civilian should have access to firearms at all. The reality that you could end up killing an innocent person is painfully proven here.

Now, both Families are destroyed, Rachel is gone forever & my son will pay the price he has to pay. No one will ever be the same, and for what? Access to firearms.

Rachel was a beautiful young lady, with her whole life ahead of her, a loving Family & countless Friends. I don’t forsee any of us reconciling this reality, ever.

R.I.P. Rachel Marcelis

In loving memory of Antonio Zimiga (Tiny T)
Sunrise: June 21, 1977 – Sunset: Febuary 2, 2010

Tiny was not just my best homeboy for 20 years, he was also my best friend, my only person that I could truly rely on for anything, and I mean anything. As youths the things that we had been through, and made it through were not everyday type of things that teenagers go through. We were part of something that ment a lot to us, and in total there was about 10 of us all together. At all times we were a family, a unit, a movement! We all made it through and were very lucky. For thoses of us that are left, and by using the word left, I mean still living, we are constantly at a struggle in our minds about the losses we have been through. At a young age death is not understood correctly, But the death of a teenagers friend, or homeboy, is something that is crucial, and many of us still are haunted by our memories of our homies that are gone.

Febuary 2, 2010 around 8 p.m. Tiny was in front of his house sitting inside his car with a girl that he had been seeing for only a couple weeks. Antonio did not bring this girl around anyone, nobody knows what she looks like or anything about her. But for the few weeks that Antonino was involved with her he stayed away from all, except the handful of people that were a social group that this girl belonged to.

Febuary 2, 2010 Antonio was shot in the head. By who? No one knows. The San Bruno police and the South San Francisco police spent more then an hour debating on which city should be handling Antonio’s murder because Antonio’s house was borderline between the two cities.

Sadly, I don’t know much about anything in this matter, what I do know is that Sgt. Jonie Lee of the South San Francisco police pushed the fact that Antonio was in a gang in his teenage years that lead Antonio to being in jail for over 15 years, not just that on Febuary 3,2010, I read in the local news paper that the shooting the night before was a suicide.

Next month Febuary 2,2012, Tiny T will be gone two years and his is unresolved, case closed based on no facts at all of my friend killing himself.

Antoinio was asked by my Husand Terry, (who was murdered Jan 13, 2011) to be our daughter Terriana’s Godfather. Tiny was always for my son like an Uncle.

Our future for our children is dark, almost hopeless.
Rest in peace with terry and watch over us Tiny.
Love you and miss you dearly
Mrs. Turner

My son, Allantae Powell, was gunned down on the Westside of Detroit as he was walking from his pastor’s house to meet with a friend before she left for college. He was shot in his back, for the reason I don’t know at all. He was just eighteen years old and a Senior in high school. He was a very determined kid who played football for Osborn High School. He had a bright future ahead of him. He was very active in his local church where he ministered to many. Allantae had lots going for him, and everything was taken away from him by senseless violence.

On December 16, 2011 my life turned upside down when my son André D. Bohanon was robbed and shot. On December 18, 2011, we took my André off life support because that wasn’t living. André was 21 years old and a licensed barber. He was just starting his life. He had a plan for his life and a vision to own his won businesses in three different cities. Yes, the sky was the limit for him.

André was so special to me and there is not a day that goes by that we don’t miss him greatly. We miss his laughter, we miss his smile, we miss his many special talents, we miss his love of people, and his concern for others. André was an organ donor. His choice because he signed his drivers license. God must have needed a really special angel and He choose André! I will forever love you, cherish the time we had and your memory will live forever.

In André memory, we started the André D. Bohanon Memorial Scholarship-Northern Illinois University and parents are members of Purpose Over Pain advocating for safer communities to end senseless violence.

-Deneen Bohanon-Silmon (mother)

Read more about the case on America’s Most Wanted

My son, Lenwood Cameron Hearon, was murdered in Chicago on September 28, 2011 by a so-called friend. The “friend” shot my baby multiple times, while sitting in my son’s car with him. My son drove his car into a wooded area, crashing it into a tree and injuring the animal who did this before Cameron died. My son died at the scene, while the shooter was seen by residents fleeing from the car.

Cam, as he is affectionately called and known as, was a talented graffiti artist known nation-wide. In the “graf” world he is known as DARE. Cam had just graduated from Malcolm X College, with high honors. He had plans on attending UICC the fall of 2012.

Cameron was a blessing and joy to us all. He was a wonderful son, a loving brother and devoted uncle to his niece and nephew. He was also a caring human being to all of his true friends.

Cam is gone from our earthly world, but lives strongly in our hearts everyday. He will forever be missed & loved, but never forgotten. His infectious smile and generous heart will live on.

Cam was taken away from us at the young age of 32. What a beautiful soul the heartless and inhumane person took away from us, but sent him to heaven to be our angel and to prepare our next family home.

Parents never heal from this. We pray to be given resources, strength and support on just coping and/or getting through with our lives after such a devastating loss. However, I don’t look at myself as a mother who lost her son. My son didn’t just “die”. He was killed and taken away from me, his family & friends by a vicious animal. He was murdered, which is why it is so much more difficult to cope. But we have to get through it with prayer, and each other.

It has only been 4 months since my son’s murder, and each passing day is a struggle. We miss him so much. It is not getting easier, just harder to accept the reality that he’s gone. That he won’t be with us for holidays, birthday celebrations, or just family gatherings. I won’t hear his voice on the phone, ending the conversations with “I love you son…..& “I love you too mom”. His brother, sister, father, nieces and nephew will forever keep his memory and soul alive.

My tears still flow daily…if not down my face, in my heart. I will never be the same.
We have to stop the gun violence.
We love you Cam…..Mommie

I always knew a gun would alter my life. I have no idea how I knew, but I did. One of the most vivid dreams I ever had was when I was just 18 or 19 years old. I saw myself, clearly older, sitting in a chair, rocking a child, and I was staring into the barrel of a gun. Who was holding it? I had no clue. But the dream disturbed me enough that I wrote it down. And I remembered it years later, when a single gunshot shattered my life.

In an instant, my husband was gone. While I never had a burning desire to have children, I liked knowing I could do so one day. But my ovaries became diseased while I was still very young; and so my fertility and eventually the ovaries themselves, were also gone. The child did not exist, and never would.

When the subject of children comes up, I exclaim, “Oh, my gosh! I forgot to have them!” Over the past 19 years, I’ve gotten pretty good at the acceptable responses. I know most people don’t mean to hurt by their words. I shrug it off most days, and I consider all children my own. I don’t have to be a parent to know they are precious.

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