GREENSBORO, N.C. — “It takes a monster to kill children,” a Greensboro mom said while gathering with others to demand action after 19 children and two teachers were killed at an elementary school in Texas.
A prayer vigil was held Wednesday night at College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro. The vigil was put together by Moms Demand Action and Mothers Against Gun Violence.
One mother knows the heartache of gun violence all too much. Tonya Cuthbertson-McCrimmon lost her son to gun violence.
"We just need to stop this violence. We just need to stop these killings," Tonya Cuthbertson-McCrimmon, who's with Mothers Against Gun Violence, said.
One by one, names were read of those shot to death in a Texas elementary school Tuesday.
After each name, a candle was lit in memory of them while speakers took turns expressing how they feel.
"I fell asleep crying last night. I woke up crying this morning, and I bawled my eyes out because I dropped off my six and three-year-old at school worried that they're not safe, worried about how to explain what just happened to them before they hear about it elsewhere. The worrying is deafening. It's debilitating," said Tracy Clark with Moms Demand Action.
Knowing this feeling all too well, are the parents of Mothers Against Gun Violence. They have all lost a child to a gun.
"We just want everybody else to know that we don't sleep at night well. Some of us going through trauma therapy now. Some of us have a lot of anger built up in us and we are trying to get it out. And a lot of us don’t know who killed our babies," said Cuthbertson-McCrimmon.
A few dozen people showed up to the vigil, including Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and other elected officials, all demanding change.
A couple of ideas mentioned Wednesday night:
- Focus on gun policy reform
- Common-sense gun laws
Organizers say the first step is urging lawmakers to do something.