Moms of children killed by gun violence beg for peace

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - More than a dozen mothers whose children have been lost to gun violence gathered for a press conference Friday to make a plea for peace.

There was not a dry-eye in the room as as the mothers shared the stories of the day their children were killed and the impact it’s had on them.

“I pray everyday to God, give me strength. Lord how am I going to make it?” said Paula Peoples-Crane whose son, Marlon Peoples, was killed 22 years ago.

The mothers sat surrounded by images of their children whose murders form a timeline spanning about a decade.

There were 12 gun-related homicides in the city of Waco in all of 2021. So far in the first three months of 2022 there have already been 6.

McLennan County Commissioner Patricia Miller organized Friday’s press conference, she says, to put a face to the gun violence pervading the city and county.

“For far too long gun violence resulting in death has plagued our community,” Miller said “The recent uptick in activity is alarming and unnerving. It is often said the hardest thing a parent can do is bury their child,” she said.

The group of mothers urged parents to get more involved in their children’s affairs and begged the county’s youth to stop the violence.

In January, Waco’s police chief and the district attorney held a press conference sounding the alarm about an increase in gun crimes.

Waco police said there were 1,894 gun discharges related to crime in the City of Waco in 2021. Further, 12 of the 17 homicides in Waco in 2021 involved a gun, police said.

Waco police said they are working with prosecutors to advocate for maximum sentences for these gun crimes as a deterrent and urging witnesses to come forward to help them solve the crimes.

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