Mothers coming together against gun violence

LIVE LOCAL LATE BREAKING. WVTM 13 NEWS AT 10:00. START NOW AND THANKS FOR STAYING UP WITH US HERE AT TEN. I’M JARVIS ROBERTSON AND I’M GLADYS BAUTISTA. TONIGHT, MOTHERS WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE PUSHING TO BRING AN END TO THAT BLOODSHED. YEAH, THE GROUP MOTHERS UNITED AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE, BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO TALK MORE ON ITS IMPACTS AMONG THOSE SPEAKING TODAY, THE MOTHER OF FIREFIGHTER JORDAN MELTON. NOW MELTON, ALONG WITH JAMAL JONES, WERE SHOT EARLIER THIS YEAR WHILE WORKING AT STATION NINE IN THE NORWOOD COMMUNITY. UNFORTUNATELY, MELTON PASSED AWAY NEARLY A WEEK LATER. A SUSPECT HAS NOT BEEN NAMED IN HIS DEATH. WE WANT TO BRING IN WVTM13’S PATSY DOUGLAS RIGHT NOW WITH MORE FROM THE DINNER TONIGHT, INCLUDING THAT SPEECH FROM MELTON’S MOM AND PATSY. THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES SHE SPOKE IN PUBLICLY SINCE HER SON’S DEATH. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT, GLADYS. YOU KNOW, YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE PRESENCE IN THAT ROOM TODAY AS SHE SPOKE TO MORE THAN 30 MOTHERS WHO ALSO LOST THEIR CHILD DUE TO GUN VIOLENCE. WE’RE GOING TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE GUN VIOLENCE. WE’RE GOING TO STAND UP. WE HAVE A VOICE. MOTHERS GATHERED AT RHEMA WORD MINISTRIES SATURDAY TO UPLIFT EACH OTHER AND BRAINSTORM ON HOW TO STOP THE TRAUMATIC GUN VIOLENCE THEY SAY IS RIPPING OUR COMMUNITY APART. HEART ROCHELLE MALONE LOST HER SON, BIRMINGHAM FIREFIGHTER JORDAN MELTON JUST WEEKS AGO AFTER HE WAS SHOT AT FIRE STATION NINE IN THE NORWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD. MALONE SAYS THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF HER OWN GRIEF, SHE IS TRYING TO BE A LIGHT FOR OTHERS, GOING THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE. IT’S STILL UNBELIEVABLE TO ME THAT IT’S THAT IT’S HAPPENED. BUT IN IN THE PLACE THAT I’M IN, IT’S I’M ALSO IN A PLACE OF OF NEED THING TO PROVIDE OTHERS WITH WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT. AS A MINISTER WHO KNOWS THE PAIN, THAT’S DIFFICULT FOR MANY TO DESCRIBE. SHE BELIEVES THAT SHARING HER STORY WILL HELP TURN HER PAIN INTO PURPOSE. IT’S ABOUT A MESSAGE OF EMPOWERING MOMENT FROM A MOTHER WHO IS IS HURTING AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH THIS RESILIENCE, SOMEONE CAN SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF A CHANGE MINDSET THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE, THAT THERE IS STRENGTH EVEN IN TIMES OF WEAKNESS. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BEYOND THE WALLS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND MOTHERS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE ARE ENCOURAGING THIS PUSH BY MEMBERS HOPING EVENTS LIKE THESE WILL SPUR THE CHANGE AND BRING SOME TYPE OF HEALING AND PEACE TO MOTHERS FACING A NEW REALITY AFTER GUN VIOLENCE. WE WANT TO BRING THE MOTHERS TOGETHER AND REALLY SHOW LOVE TOWARDS THEM TO LET THEM KNOW YOU MATTER, TO LET THEM KNOW YOU CAN’T GO FORWARD AND MOVE FORWARD. NOW, UPON RUSSELL ALSO TELLS ME THAT THE MOTHER WHO ATTENDED THE EVENT, SOME OF THEM HAVE NOT ONLY LOST ONE CHILD, BUT MULTIPLE CHILDREN. SO HAVING EVENTS LIKE THESE IS SOMETHING THAT HE’S LOOKING TO PUSH FORWARD IN THE NE