Gwinnett Co. teen seeking to end gun violence speaks out

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

3 1 minute read

A Peachtree Ridge High School student wants lawmakers and the community to come together to end gun violence.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County teenager and high school student is inspired to make a difference and raise awareness about gun violence after a young man who graduated from his school was recently shot and killed.

“As we continue to see headlines about our community members, friends, family and loved ones taken from us too soon because of gun violence, we must ask ourselves if this is the world that we're going to accept,'” said student and gun violence awareness advocate Tyler Lee.

Lee is a Peachtree Ridge High School student looking to make a difference.

“The tragedy that happened with Timothy Henderson is more than political cannon fodder. It was a person. He was an alumnus of my Peachtree Ridge High School and he deserves to be remembered,” Lee said.

Timothy Henderson was only 18 years old when he was shot to death in his apartment complex on May 4. Gwinnett County police have arrested a 19-year-old in connection with Henderson's murder.

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Henderson's mother said she wanted to talk about gun violence in hopes of helping others.

“It's difficult to be here, but at the same time I feel like it's a cause that needs to be championed and I hope it's a message to pass on to the younger generation. You don’t want your parents to go through that,” Lashika Almond said.

An advocate for gun safety awareness says one of the most important parts of protecting people from gun violence is providing them with tools.

“We provide information and gun locks to keep individuals safe, because we know that just those few seconds that someone has a gun lock can save a life.”

Organizers hope that bringing attention to gun violence will resonate with the community, make a difference down the line and ultimately save a life.

Timothy Henderson's family is looking to raise money for his burial costs and help his mother financially as she grieves her loss.

This fundraiser can be found here.