Shooting Victims' Sons Move Forward: A Story of Unbreakable Spirit

The loss of a child is a tragedy that no parent should ever have to face, but for those who have been affected by school shootings, the pain and grief can be overwhelming. For Pamela Wright-Young, whose 17-year-old son Tyrone Lawson was shot to death outside a high school basketball game in Chicago in 2013, it took months for her to stop calling his name at dinner time.

Similarly, another mother still catches herself reaching for her daughter's hand before crossing the street, as if hoping that she would still be by her side. For weeks after his son was killed, one father set his alarm and left the house at 7:30 am, even though he no longer had to drop off his child at school.

These small reminders of a life lost can be a constant source of pain for parents who have experienced such a tragedy. The days that follow a child's murder can feel like a kind of fugue state, where everything feels numb and detached. Some parents have reported feeling like they are floating through their daily routine on autopilot, unable to fully process the loss they have endured.

The hardest part for many parents is not the initial shock of learning about their child's death, but rather the long journey of grief that follows. Every month that passes, every birthday and holiday, feels like a painful reminder of what they have lost. The first thing many parents ask each other when they meet is 'How old was your kid?' It's a way of establishing the bond they shared with their child, and the finite amount of time they had together.

Despite their differences in politics and opinions on gun control measures, the parents who have lost children to school shootings have formed a sense of community and understanding. They may not always agree on how to prevent such tragedies from happening again, but they share a deep empathy for one another.

For Rhonda Hart, whose daughter was killed in Santa Fe, Texas, this sense of solidarity is essential. 'When you've gone through this kind of tragedy with other people, you see their humanity, where they're coming from,' she says. Her differences with other affected families may be significant, but they do not diminish the bond they share.

In a country that is often divided by partisanship and political differences, the relationships between these parents are a beacon of hope. They have found a way to transcend their disagreements and come together in their shared grief, forming a community that is stronger because of its diversity.

As one father whose son was killed at Columbine says, 'You really can't overstate how huge that is.' The loss of a child may be unbearable, but the support and understanding they receive from others who have experienced similar tragedies can help them move forward.

Shooting victims sons move forward