Latest news with #ParentsofMurderedChildren
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Community members pay respects to victims of Conway park shooting
CONWAY, Ark. – On Wednesday, many people in Faulkner County came by the 5th Avenue park in Conway, where memorials are set up to pay their respects following a deadly shooting. Conway Police Chief Chris Harris said 11 people were shot and nine of them are recovering. However, the remaining two victims were killed; he identified them as 24-year-old Tatayana Penister from England and 23-year-old Demetrius Feemster from Little Rock. Central Arkansas communities holding events after deadly Conway park shooting Several witnesses that KARK 4 News spoke with say that the shooting started after an argument and a fight. At the park, there are now crosses for the victims who were killed along with balloons, letters, and other pieces for the memorial to honor them. Tasha Williams said she didn't know the victims but felt the need to come out and pay her respects. 'I have kids this age, and for it to affect the community like it has, it's not right,' Williams said. 'As a mom, I couldn't imagine what their parents are going through.' Police say the gathering was put on by an out-of-state promoter who didn't have a permit from the city. The mayor assured the public that they are working to make sure this type of incident doesn't happen again. 'It's not right. These two shouldn't have lost their lives for something that could have been prevented,' Williams said. Conway police identify victims in Sunday deadly park shooting Lakesia Smith, an advocate with Central Arkansas Parents of Murdered Children, said no one should have to shoulder this type of pain. 'Grief is nothing you will never get over, and anger is nothing you will ever get over, but you have to keep strong,' Smith said. With no arrests yet to be made, police say they have many leads, and both women hope the families get justice soon. 'Now, these families have to bury their kids,' Smith said. 'It's Easter right around the corner, Mother's Day is coming up, and Father's Day is coming up and these are people who were just starting their lives.' Conway community has mixed reaction after police update on Sunday shooting Conway police are working with multiple agencies during the investigation. 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Little Rock city leaders react after 9 homicides in the month of January
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – There have been nearly 10 homicides in 30 days in Little Rock to start 2025. 'We hadn't had this many coming at this pace in a little while,' Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones said. Thursday, Jones joined local organizations including Arkansas Stop the Violence, Parents of Murdered Children, and Pain to Purpose to plead for change as 4 people have been killed in the last 3 days. 'We need everybody to come together now and say enough is enough,' Jones said. Little Rock police arrest suspect in deadly Park Plaza Mall shooting On Monday, 47-year-old Cynthia Gregory was shot and killed outside of Park Plaza Mall. 18-year-old Abdelrahmanahmed Sallam is behind bars after being accused of killing Gregory. Sallam has been charged with capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, theft of property, and refusal to submit to arrest. Early Tuesday morning, police were called to investigate another deadly shooting on Stanton Road. Parents of Catholic High teen killed in Little Rock shooting release statement In that case, 15-year-old John Staats was found dead inside of a car, and a juvenile has been arrested for the murder of Staats. On the same evening of Staats' murder, officers were called to a scene on Labette Manor where 19-year-old Anthony White was found dead from a shooting. On Thursday, police began investigating a fourth homicide which left a woman dead at the Chenal Place Apartments on Reservoir Road. 'Hopefully this is not a trend that continues,' said Jones. Little Rock police identify man killed in Westbridge Apartments shooting Jones adds that crime is down. According to the police, in 2024 Little Rock saw 37 homicides. Although it may not have felt like it, that's a 41% decrease compared to 2023 which had 63 homicides. But despite the numbers, Jones said the youth of Pulaski County are in a crisis. 'We have teenagers carrying guns, shooting at cars, shooting up houses and killing people. They say it takes a village to raise a child but as these men have said, our village has ignored this problem for way too long,' Jones said. At the press conference, proactive measures were discussed to help get guns out the hands of children. Woman killed in deadly shooting at Reservoir Road apartment complex Rev. Bennie Johnon with Arkansas Stop the Violence asked for 'Governor Sanders to pass bringing in the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to the city of Little Rock to get these weapons off the street.' Will Jones said 'we're trying to figure out how we look outside the box than just this happens; we go to court and this happens. We've got to figure out a way to get with the community before the problem happens.' In the last decade, the largest number of homicides Little Rock had seen in a year was in 2022 where there were 81. Right now, with 9 in the first month of 2025, the capital city is on pace to shatter that. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
