Birmingham mother shares lingering impacts of gun violence

1 year ago 27

HAVE NOT ARRESTED ANY SUSPECTS. OH, FOR FAMILIES IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE, THE CONSEQUENCES THE LAST A LIFETIME. WVTM 13, CHIP SCARBOROUGH HAS THE STORY OF ONE AREA MOM TAKEN TO A DARK PLACE AND EXPLAINS HOW SHE WAS ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK. TO BE HONEST, I BROKE DOWN. I GAVE UP PLENTY OF TIMES. LATRICE BAKER SAYS SHE HAD A TOUGH TIME FIGURING OUT HOW TO GO FORWARD AFTER HER DAUGHTER JULIA WAS CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE DURING A SHOOTOUT IN BIRMINGHAM NEARLY TWO YEARS YEARS AGO AND LEFT IN A WHEELCHAIR. THIS LITTLE GIRL, SHE THE ONE THAT PUSHED ME TO KEEP GOING LIKE MAMA, DON’T DWELL ON IT. IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY. BAKER SAYS. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED HER DAUGHTER’S SHOOTING, SHE WAS ANGRY AND HAD TROUBLE FOCUSING ON HER WORK. SHE SAYS SHE EVENTUALLY BROKE DOWN AND WAS UNABLE TO EARN AN INCOME. I WAS STUCK IN A DARK SPOT LIKE NOT KNOWING HOW I’M GOING TO PROVIDE OR DO THIS BECAUSE MY MOM WASN’T RIGHT. BAKER SAYS HER DAUGHTER NOW 11 YEARS OLD, NEVER FROWNS AND IS ALWAYS SMILING, OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS. SHE ASKED HER WHAT BROUGHT ME OUT OF THAT DARK SPOT AND THE BAKER FAMILY IS NOW IN A GOOD SPOT, ABLE TO FOCUS ON A NEW FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS, RENTING OUT BOUNCE HOUSES AND WATERSLIDES FOR PRIVATE EVENTS, HELPING TO ENSURE PEOPLE AVOID SITUATIONS WHERE GUN VIOLENCE IS INVOLVED.

For families impacted by gun violence, the consequences can last a lifetime. "To be honest, I broke down," Latrice Baker remembers. "I gave up plenty of times." Baker says she had a tough time figuring out how to go forward after her daughter Ja'Liyah was caught in crossfire during a shootout in Birmingham nearly two years ago and left in a wheelchair. "Every time I gave up or every time I got discouraged, this little girl: she is the one who pushed me to keep going," Baker explains. "Like mama, don't dwell on it. It's going to be OK."Baker says in the days that followed her daughter's shooting, she was angry and had trouble focusing on her work. She says she eventually broke down and was unable to earn an income. "I was stuck in a dark spot," Baker adds. "Like, not knowing how I'm going to provide or do this because my mind wasn't right."Latrice Baker says her daughter, now 11-years-old, never frowns and is always smiling. Optimistic about what the future holds. "She's actually what brought me out of that dark spot," Baker points out.The Baker family is in a good spot now, able to focus on a family-owned business. LiyahStrong Event Rentals LLC offers bounce houses and water slides for private functions as a way to help ensure people avoid violent situations. For more information, e-mail liyahstrongrentals@gmail.com.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

For families impacted by gun violence, the consequences can last a lifetime.

"To be honest, I broke down," Latrice Baker remembers. "I gave up plenty of times."

Baker says she had a tough time figuring out how to go forward after her daughter Ja'Liyah was caught in crossfire during a shootout in Birmingham nearly two years ago and left in a wheelchair.

"Every time I gave up or every time I got discouraged, this little girl: she is the one who pushed me to keep going," Baker explains. "Like mama, don't dwell on it. It's going to be OK."

Baker says in the days that followed her daughter's shooting, she was angry and had trouble focusing on her work. She says she eventually broke down and was unable to earn an income.

"I was stuck in a dark spot," Baker adds. "Like, not knowing how I'm going to provide or do this because my mind wasn't right."

Latrice Baker says her daughter, now 11-years-old, never frowns and is always smiling. Optimistic about what the future holds.

"She's actually what brought me out of that dark spot," Baker points out.

The Baker family is in a good spot now, able to focus on a family-owned business. LiyahStrong Event Rentals LLC offers bounce houses and water slides for private functions as a way to help ensure people avoid violent situations. For more information, e-mail liyahstrongrentals@gmail.com.

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