Latest news with #NationalCrimeVictims'RightsWeek
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Loss, resilience and remembrance': Tulare County quilt remembers 25 violent crime victims
The Tulare County District Attorney's Office held its annual memorial quilt unveiling in observance of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. On April 24, families and friends of crime victims, law enforcement, and other concerned members of the community filled the Visalia Convention Center Charter Oak Ballroom, where memorial quilts from previous years were on display. National Crime Victims' Rights Week focuses attention on the millions of Americans impacted by crime, as well as the people who advocate on their behalf. The DA's office observes the week by unveiling a handmade memorial quilt dedicated to local residents who died as the result of violent crime over the past year. This year's quilt, which includes 25 victims, is the 25th such memorial. The evening's program began with a welcome from Assistant District Attorney Erica Gonzalez, a presentation of colors by the TCDA Honor Guard, an invocation by Pastor Kyle Sawyer of the Northeast Assembly of God, and a proclamation from the Tulare County Board of Supervisors. 'Before I read the proclamation, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the depth of emotion that surrounds this gathering, an emotion I feel profoundly each time I attend this ceremony,' said Tulare County Supervisor Eddie Valero, who left meetings in Sacramento early to make the presentation. 'For 25 years, these memorial quilts weave together the stories of loss, resilience, and remembrance,' he said. 'Each image stitched into these quilts carries the weight of a life taken too soon, and the enduring love of families and communities left behind. 'It's personal for many of us, myself included,' he continued. 'One of the quilts honors the son of the cook at my parents' restaurant, a young boy from Orosi whose life was cut short by violence in Seville. I've watched his mother navigate in unimaginable grief over the years, and I carry Santiago's story with me today.' Valero then read the board's proclamation dedicated to the '23 million Americans (who) suffer from the indignity of crime each year, and many experience emotional, physical, psychological, and financial harm as a result of such crime.' Roxanne Serna, Tulare County district representative for State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, also made a presentation and shared comments. 'I stand before you not just as a speaker, but as someone who shares in your grief,' she said. 'I lost my brother on Dec. 4, 2006. He was a victim of a violent crime, taken from us far too soon. At the time, he left behind a 3-year-old son and an unborn daughter, who never had the chance to meet her father. 'He was a wonderful brother,' she added. 'I loved him so much. We were inseparable. I can relate to all your grief. 'It's hard to believe it's been 20 years,' she said. 'The pain doesn't disappear. It simply changes shape. But what has remained consistent is the support this program has offered to families that find it. For 25 years, this ceremony and the service behind it have created a safe space for remembrance, healing and connection. It means more than words can fully express.' District Attorney Tim Ward then conducted a discussion with his predecessor, former District Attorney Phil Cline, who served from 1992 to 2012, when the victims advocate program became part of the DA's office and the first memorial quilt unveiling was held. 'We dealt with rape, homicide, child molestation, people killed in drunk driving cases,' Cline said. 'During that entire time, you get exposed to the heartache, the tragedy of victims of crime, and then those that are left behind, the families of the victims. From that experience, this ceremony came about. 'Like with my experiences, the experience of our staff, every day was dealing with victims of crime and their families – a mother who's lost a son, a sister who's lost a brother, someone who's lost a baby,' he said. 'It was the staff that came up with the idea for doing this – the secretaries, the witness coordinators, the victim advocates, the line prosecutors, the investigators.' Crime victims were not always treated well by the judicial system when Cline started as DA, something that he and the other prosecutors wanted to change. 'When I was a prosecutor and before we started this program, it was not unusual for us to go into court and we'd have the mother who had lost her son to violent crime,' Cline said. 'The mother was not allowed to speak to the court during sentencing. The mother of the defendant, the person that did the killing, was allowed. 'We wanted to be the voice for the victims,' he said. 'Victims were not treated that well in court. When I became district attorney, I knew that I wanted somehow, some way, to get the victim program into the DA's office. It was in another department. 'I was approached early on by the board of supervisors asking me to take over another unit that was in another department,' he recalled. 'They wanted me to take that over. It was a troublesome unit. I didn't really want to do it, but I saw an opportunity there. I told them, I would take that troublesome one if you put (victim advocates) in the DA's office so that we can personally serve the victims of crime. A deal was made, he said. 'For the first time, we were able to expand the personnel to create the position of victim advocate, to have people that would serve victims and reach out to them and follow up with them," he said. 'We're dealing with victims and witnesses, and then that's over. We go on to the next case. But the victim's family is left with the loss and they need services after the court is over.' Cline said that the memorial quilts came out of his office's 'desire to stay with the victims of crime after the case was over, to honor them, to not forget what had happened to the families of victims, not forget the losses that they had with the victims of violent crime.' A guest panel followed the program, which included three women whose loved ones were victims of violent crime. Monica Reyes lost her brother, Gina Moreno lost a son and Alice Aleman Fisher lost her husband. Brian Johnson, a former ABC30 South Valley correspondent, gave his perspective on covering crime stories in Tulare County. 'I don't miss having to call family members or friends of victims of crime, especially the day after that person may have passed away,' he said. 'That never got any easier. I didn't like doing it then, and I don't ever want to do it again.' He offered his advice to family members of crime victims about how to deal with the media. 'If you're a family member or a friend of a victim of crime, just be cautious about folks that are reaching out to you from the media,' he said. 'If they're calling themselves the media, try and do your homework and maybe stick with those more traditional outlets such as ABC30 or the Visalia Times-Delta because there are so many people now that like to say they are media or reporters, but they don't have a background. They didn't go to school for it. 'Not to say they can't be a journalist, but they may not have those values and ethics in terms of telling the best story and the most accurate and fair story,' he said. 'I would say it's easier to say than do, I realize, but as much as possible avoid social media, and I say that knowing that social media can have some really major value for families.' Johnson's main concerns are about the comments section that usually follow stories on social media. 'I've always kind of seen that as the nastiest place, the ugliest place sometimes on social media and on the Internet,' he said. 'There's not a lot of moderation on there. The comments section can get a little out of control, and if you're a family member or a friend, you may see something that could affect you negatively.' But there are reasons to speak to the media, according to Johnson. 'I would say, and I'm biased, but you may want to consider participating at some point,' he said. 'Obviously, you want the story to be fair. You want to evaluate if the reporter is going to do a good job of telling the one-on-one story, but I think that it is a way to honor, remember, talk about your loved one. 'For better or for worse, there's a lot to be said about the state of journalism today, but they can be that voice for you,' he said. 'We know that oftentimes victims' families don't have an opportunity to speak in the courtroom until a sentencing hearing. That's a long time in many cases to get to that point. 'If you choose to, and again, it is ultimately up to you to speak with members of the media, that's your way of using your voice on behalf of your loved one,' he added. 'That can be a positive thing.' Child Abuse Prevention Month: What's being done to keep Tulare County children safe? Ward was the final speaker before the new quilt was unveiled. 'Every quilt on display around this room is unique because of the individual lives reflected in them and the love that went into creating those quilts,' he said. 'Each gathering of these quilts inevitably brings tears, and every year new families walk through these doors and they are graciously welcomed by survivors who sadly have experienced that very unique and very specific, overwhelming type of grief. 'With a commitment to simply walk through these doors, you display by your action and your participation far more than any words that I could speak,' Ward said. 'You convey an eloquent message that no victim will ever be forgotten and no family is or should ever feel alone in their sorrow. You and your families and your lost loved ones, you bind our system of justice together just as the threads of love form these quilts. 'Tonight, focus on each other and no matter what, the sons, the daughters, the sisters, the brothers, the mothers, the fathers, all around this room will not be overlooked, they will not be ignored, and they certainly will never be forgotten,' he said. Ward read off the names of the 25 people memorialized on this year's quilt, asking the families of each person to stand. After reading the list of names, he asked the families of the people on the previous year's quilts to also stand. 'You'll see that you stand among a new family and you are not alone and will not ever be such,' he said. 'No loved one is alone. They are now united in a new family that's represented by needles, by thread, and by love.' This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County quilt remembers 25 violent crime victims
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
North Nashville community members gather to support families affected by violence
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — To commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week, families gathered in North Nashville Saturday for an event called 'Healed People Heal People' to support one another and remember loved ones lost to violence. Clemmie Greenlee, head of Tennessee's chapter of Voices for Black Mothers United, has made it her mission to support and heal others and their families after losing her only son to gun violence more than two decades ago. Greenlee told News 2 she wants to remind families they're not alone: 'Number one, you got people that love on you. Number two, we want to teach you how to file for the victim's compensation fund.' Man dead after shooting in Cookeville shopping center parking lot As head of the VBMU in Tennessee, Greenlee wants to help remove barriers for crime victims and their families as they seek justice. 'If you ignore the message and what's going on out here, then you're not going to have any solutions. I don't have the solution, but I'm going to keep trying to try to find one, and in order for me to do that, it's for me to love on people and bring people here at Grassroot to let them know that I'm here,' Greenlee added. VBMU said they are encouraged to see a 5% drop in Nashville's violent crime rate from 2023 to 2024, but they're still pushing to lower violent crime in Music City and across Tennessee. | READ MORE | 'If you really want to change something, you've got to get out here and see what to change. Quit reading the paperwork, quit reading the numbers on the grant, come out here and just take a drive around and really see, and that's all I'm asking people. You don't want to do it, I do, connect with me,' Greenlee explained. If you or someone you know has lost a loved one to violence and needs support, Greenlee wants families to know help is out there. Resources are available at and you can reach VBMU's Tennessee chapter at 615-589-8984. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-04-2025
- CBS News
Families, crimes survivors in Philadelphia gathered to honor loved ones for National Healing Vigil Day of Action
Families and crime survivors gathered during a healing vigil to honor their loved ones and to rally for solutions to help curb crime. "It's like living a nightmare that you can't wake up from," said Michele Parker. For nearly four years, Parker has been weathering the waves of agonizing pain after losing her youngest child. Her son, 23-year-old Evan Baylor , was shot and killed in West Philadelphia in June 2021. She says her whole world was taken in the blink of an eye. "My son was selling a car to a childhood friend and got caught in the crossfire and killed," Parker said. On Saturday, Parker was part of an intimate group that shared stories of loss during the annual Survivor's Speak Healing Vigil inside Salt and Light Community Church in Kingsessing. It was part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The vigil was a safe space for families to grieve and find solutions to help reduce crime. "We often say that this is a club that nobody wants to be a part of," said Yolanda Jennings, the Philadelphia Chapter Coordinator of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice . "It's been very difficult, but from that negativity we brought a lot of positive as well," said Rev. Leroy West. West says his daughter was murdered in North Jersey in 2016. Now, he's turning his pain into purpose as the director of the Philadelphia chapter of "Parents of Murdered Children." "We want to bring awareness and let people know that there's resources out here and they're not by themselves," West said. That's how Parker says she feels after sharing her story and connecting with families who also lost loved ones. "If people feel like they're not alone and there are people in their support network, it does help. Your pain never goes away, but you learn to navigate your own new reality as a result of it, Parker said. According to Parker, her son's killer has never been arrested or charged, but she said the healing vigils give her hope that one day she and her family will receive justice.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
Community vigils held to honor victims of gun violence in Chicago
CHICAGO – In honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, vigils were held Saturday in communities most affected by violence. One of those vigils, organized by Cornicki Bornds, was held at Grace Memorial Baptist Church in North Lawndale, where dozens of people formed a healing circle for families to share their stories and honor their loved ones. Bornds lost her son Fontaine Sanders to gun violence in 2017. Sanders was a 19-year-old college student when he was shot in the head after he left to play basketball. Bornds started the nonproft H.U.G.S to help others who've lost loved ones. Officials in Cicero announce arrest of suspect in connection with decades-old homicide 'The healing vigil today is to bring recognition to the families because sometimes after the funerals, some people feel like everybody forgot them. So today is the day we bring them back in the spotlight, to let people know we did not forget your loved ones,' Bornds said. Also in the crowd were the parents of Miguel Padilla, who lost their son in 2021 at the age of 41. WGN-TV was at the scene in Logan Square that night. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Chicago police said someone took Padilla's car before shooting him in the chest. The grandmother of Terrance Foster was also in the room. Foster was 19 years old when he was gunned down in North Lawndale in 2021. The families talked about how several of these cases remain unsolved to this day. They're hoping that by continuing to share their loved ones' stories, police can receive information that can lead to arrests. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘We need a family afterwards': Friends, family affected by gun violence remember lost loved ones
When Elizabeth Ramirez was asked to pick a memento that best described her son, she didn't reach for the teddy bears or dolls laid in the middle of a healing circle for families who lost loved ones from gun violence. She instead chose a small trophy in the shape of a star. When her son, Harry Rodriguez, was growing up she asked him what sport he wanted to participate in, and he picked them all, winning many trophies along the way, she told the group gathered Saturday afternoon at Grace Memorial Baptist Church church in North Lawndale. Football was probably his favorite, though the only activity he wouldn't try was ballet because of the tights. He dreamed of becoming a coach one day, said Ramirez, 60, of River Grove. Nearly 14 years since her son was killed, Ramirez said she still remembers the 1:15 a.m. phone call she never expected to receive, telling her that her son was shot by an intruder at his 24th birthday party. She said he protected his cousin and the cousin's son from the gunfire. 'I drove to the hospital and I was praying for my son to be alive,' she said. 'The doctor just standing in the corner of the door looked at me and (shook) her head.' Ramirez said she then went to his hospital room, trying to shake and wake her son up, chanting 'Mommy's here.' 'He never came home,' she said. Ramirez joined about 30 others at the church to share stories about their loved ones and learn ways to honor their memory. Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice hosted the event to correspond with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, an annual commemoration that promotes justice for victims. Much of the group had family or friends who died from gun violence, or they had personally experienced domestic violence. They displayed photographs of the people they lost, lit candles while reciting their names and prayed. 'It just helps people feel like they're connected. It brings people together and helps them draw strength from each other, said Ruby Taylor, executive director of Taproots, a nonprofit that provides social and educational outreach. Taylor, who helped lead the event, said a 'no judgment' zone among people who share similar difficult experiences helps them grow stronger together and heal. Ramirez said she draws comfort from talking with other families. They're the only ones who truly understand the pain of losing a child to gun violence. 'When we bury our children, everybody is there. But we're in shock at the beginning,' she said. 'After the funeral, after we bury them, we need a family afterwards. Here, we have one another. We're not gonna get tired of each other.' She said she remembers her son telling her 'I love you too much.' It's difficult for Ramirez to think that she'll never see him get married or have kids. Mother's Day is particularly challenging, she said. But she said she knows 'our children will always be with us because of the love we have for them.' 'I saw that little kid from a funny little boy who grew up to a fighting young man with a great heart,' added Rodriguez's stepfather, Pascual Nunez. 'He would love to help everybody that he could. He had a dollar in his pocket, he'd give it to you in a minute even if you didn't ask for it.' Marsha Lee shared that her son, Thomas Lee, was shot and killed while walking out of a store in south suburban Harvey in 2008. She described him as funny and smart, joking that she was upset with him becoming a barber after she spent so much money on his education. It ended up becoming his passion and he planned to open up his own shop one day, said Lee, 68, of Blue Island. She said her son also dreamed of cutting President Barack Obama's hair and was proud to vote for him in the Democratic primary before he died. 'Tommy had a phrase, and he thought he was the best barber — he cut hair better than anybody else,' she said. 'So he would say I'll give you a $100 haircut for $7.' Lee encouraged the group to call their elected representatives to support the Homicide Data Transparency Act and Homicide Victims' Families Rights Act. The Illinois measures would require law enforcement agencies to publicly report homicide data and allow families to request that agencies review unsolved cases after three years, respectively. She said it's too common for families to call detectives and receive no answer, or they leave messages and don't get a call back. It's very difficult 'navigating the system' while coping with the death of a child, and she hopes the legislation could lead to an improvement. 'I could have stayed in bed, balled up in a knot, but I had to do something,' Lee said. 'So for me, for my son and his legacy, I have to do something. Faith without works is dead.'
