Grieving mother calls for an end to gun violence in Gulfport

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Pleas are echoing throughout the Gulfport community calling for violence to come to an end after another ruthless shooting.

Police say over the weekend a 16-year-old allegedly shot and killed another young man - all over a pair of sunglasses.

The recent incident is striking a chord in Tia Mosley, whose son was murdered a year ago over a pair of Jordan athletic shoes.

“Every time I hear of a shooting, it just breaks my heart because so many families are losing their loved ones, especially these kids,” Mosley said. “It doesn’t feel like it gets any easier. It just gets more real.”

Mosley’s son Caleb was only 17 years old when he died at the hands of another alleged teen shooter in a drive-by on 29th Street. Caleb had dreams of becoming a realtor to support his son. Now, gone before he could grow up.

Mosley said those who are quick to pull the trigger have different aspirations for their lives.

“They trying to make a name for the street,” Mosley said. “If things don’t go their way, they just want to shoot stuff. The gun violence just needs to stop. There’s way too many people that suffers behind it, not just a person that you kill - it’s the family, the friends, the other kids that knew these people.”

Authorities tally seven fatal shootings just this year. Each one leaves behind a very real and raw pain for a mother left grieving and a son growing up without a father.

“In my head it just feels like maybe he’s gone away, like how people go away for college and he’ll be back and then it’s just like he’s never really coming back,” Mosley said.

The mother is now begging her community to put down the guns because this is a job requiring all hands on deck.

“The way people are these days, it’s not going to stop,” Mosley said. “Everybody has to work together for it to stop.”

Other family members place the blame on the justice system. They say imposing stricter sentences and higher penalties could help to deter crime.

Want more WLOX news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2022 WLOX. All rights reserved.