Every year, nearly 40,000 human beings lose their lives to gun violence. That number is so incomprehensibly large—so tragic—we lose sight of the individual lives lost. So tonight, I want to focus on one city, where an 8 year-old and a 15 year-old were shot dead this weekend.
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1165944491603308544
Since April, at least 12 kids in St. Louis have lost their lives to guns. Kayden. Kennedi. Xavier. Jurnee. Eddie. Charnija. Derrel. Sentonio. Myiesha. Jashon. Kristina. Jason. Here's a bit about who they were.
Kayden Johnson, 2 years-old. Think about that. 2 years-old.
“He was uplifting,” Kayden’s father said. “He was always smiling.”
“He was uplifting,” Kayden’s father said. “He was always smiling.”
Kennedi Powell, 3 years-old.
“She was a beautiful young lady. She was the type of person who liked to play a lot, like to run off and pinch you,” her grandmother said. “It’s hard—real hard.”
“She was a beautiful young lady. She was the type of person who liked to play a lot, like to run off and pinch you,” her grandmother said. “It’s hard—real hard.”
Xavier Usanga, 7 years-old. The next day would have been Xavier’s first day of second grade. Xavier’s sister was also shot that day. Their mother, Dawn, said to the shooter: “You killed my son... and I hope his smile will burn in your brain forever.”
Jurnee Thompson, 8 years-old. She was at a football game with her family when she was killed. “The little girl wasn’t doing anything wrong,” said Police Chief John Hayden.
Eddie Hill IV, 10 years-old. “It’s unimaginable,” his mother says. But it continues to happen across our country.
Charnija Keys, 11 years-old. The same age as my daughter.
Derrel Williams, 15 years-old. Derrel was the third person killed in the Kingsway East neighborhood of St. Louis this year alone.
Sentonio Cox, 15 years-old. His friend said he was on his way home.
Myiesha Cannon, 16 years-old. “She was loving, kind,” her mother Latrice said. “She did not deserve this. She did anything for everybody.”
Her sister added: “I miss her.”
Her sister added: “I miss her.”
Jashon Johnson, 16 years-old. Killed near Fairground Park—a place where children should be living their lives, not losing them.
Kristina Curry, 16 years-old.
Her grandmother: “I can’t understand why someone would hurt my granddaughter that way.”
Her grandmother: “I can’t understand why someone would hurt my granddaughter that way.”
Jason Eberhart, 16 years-old. “He had a lot of potential,” his cousin Charles remembers. “We were looking for him to go somewhere.”
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