Lynchburg mom takes action after losing son to gun violence

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - In 2014, Shawn Moss was shot and killed in Lynchburg. His mother Brenda Moss decided to take action.

“Other than just doing nothing, or just saying let someone else do it, I had to figure out a way to honor Shawn,” said Moss.

Through that tragedy, Brenda Moss started the Shawn Moss Wellness and Growth Foundation. On Saturday, she hosted a “Soul Box Folding” event, which gives families a chance to honor and remember their loved ones who were lost to gun violence.

“I bring these type of events to different communities, different recreation centers, so that we can become aware and no one else has to go through the pain that I’ve gone through.”

Awareness. Moss said that continues to be a major factor in addressing gun violence.

“We have to say, how bad do we want our community to heal? And we can’t get the healing without education, we can’t get that healing without coming together.”

Moss has lived in Lynchburg her entire life and said she feels gun violence is worse than it used to be. She said events like these can’t be one and done, there needs to be continued efforts to address the issue.

“People want to trust someone and they can’t get that trust if you show up once and never come back. You have to come back and ask what do you need, not what I want to give you, how can I help you, not this is what I want you to do. I believe in building bridges where they’re broken.”

Moss said a lot of those bridges are broken in the Black community, but she’s determined to help build them back up.

“We have to understand, we have to want our communities back. I want my community back and I’m going to do everything I can to get the community back.”

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