Mothers share journey of loss, pain and the repeat cycle of gun violence

As police continue to search for a suspect, and a motive, this latest instance of gun violence is the harsh reality two Lexington mothers are left with every day.

“There’s nothing like losing a child,” recalls Alisa Hairston, who lost her son Berkeley O’Dell Taylor Parks in 2021.

It’s a wound that never heals, for a mother like Priscilla Sandifer “it is a epidemic across the United States, and it’s just not one city or town or state, it’s all across the U.S.,” she adds, on the continuation of gun violence.

Two mothers relive the pain every time there’s an incident of gun violence.

“When you lose a child, you’re never gonna see your child again. So justice for me is to not have another mother, keep experiencing what I’m, I have experienced because every day is like losing my limbs and they stitch them back on just to cut them off again,” says Hairston.

A sentiment shared by Sandifer, “time doesn’t heal our wounds, we will never get justice for our children unless, my daughter or, you know, the other daughters or sons are standing next to us.”

Sandifer’s daughter, Amaya Victoria Taylor Sandifer has been gone since 2022, her case remains unsolved.

“I still can’t begin to think you know that this is my new reality without my daughter,” she says.

And while the homicide numbers in the city are lower than last year, for Hairston, the reality is much different.

“You can say it’s going down because a lot of the, the victims are either dead or in prison. These kids that have lost their mothers, their fathers to gun violence, where they grow, if you’re not getting them help, resources, they’re gonna have the mentality that I wanna go out here and get a gun,” added Hairston.

Sandifer and Hairston say more needs to be done to address gun violence in Lexington.

“They need to be more persistent when they’re talking, to people trying to interrogate them, trying to see what they know,” said Sandifer on interrogations of people who may witness incidents.

Adding that many with information on cases don’t always come forward for fear of retaliation.

“People of my color, that’s why we don’t speak up, but another race they’re gonna speak up because they feel, they feel safe,” said Hairston.

Police and the organization One Lexington, are two separate entities, ABC 36 reached out to Devine Carama, the leader of One Lexington, who said he understands the struggles and realities of Hairston and Sandifer all too well. He says he alongside others at One Lexington will continue to support survivors of gun violence.