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FW vigil for National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Members of a Fort Worth non-profit shared the stories of their losses of relatives and friends killed during gun violence. They are spreading their message Friday on National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
FORT WORTH, Texas - Members of a Fort Worth non-profit shared the stories of their losses of relatives and friends killed during gun violence. They are spreading their message Friday on National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
In observance of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Melinda Hamilton and Karen Johnson went to Trinity Park a few hours ahead of their planned prayer vigil Friday night.
The event serves as a way to keep their mission in focus.
Roughly three years ago, Hamilton founded Mothers of Murdered Angels.
In 2018, a drive-by shooting on Fort Worth’s south side claimed her daughter’s life, Shamicka Rodgriguez. Then in 2020, her grandson, Derek Johnson, Jr. was also killed in a shooting.
"Not turning around in 2020 to have to bury my grandson after I just buried my daughter two years before that. At that time in 2020, that was enough for me. That was enough," Hamilton said.
The two moms have held donation drives and events aimed at steering young people away from violence. They’ve connected victims’ families with resources.
Now, the calls for help come in from out of state.
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Here & Now: Mothers of Murdered Angels
A Fort Worth woman who lost both a daughter and grandson to gun violence in the span of two years has turned her pain into something that helps others. She started a non-profit called "Mothers of Murdered Angels" and helps other families navigate the system and their sorrow when a loved one is murdered. Melinda Hamilton is in this week's Here & Now conversation with FOX 4’s Shaun Rabb.
"It’s very important we try to control as much as we can of gun violence," Johnson said. "We know we can’t control it all, but we can put our foot stamp on things that we can do. I think the importance of it is to save lives."
In 2022, Mothers of Murdered Angels gained national attention and accepted an invitation to the White House to join their voices with other victims from around the country.
"Being invited to the White House was one of the best things I’ve ever done," Hamilton said. "We got to speak. We showed our loved ones and everything. I was just excited."
As for the prayer vigil at Trinity Park, the memorial structures there serve as inspiration. Their goal is to raise enough money to construct a memorial for the victims they call angels.
"We want to do a memorial for the kids, for our angels that we have lost to gun violence," Hamilton said.
"Our goal is to have that memorial here in the downtown area or off 820 somewhere," Johnson said. "Our goal is to change lives and help those who are unable to help themselves."