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.
“When we continue to see headlines in the news about our community members, our friends and family and our loved ones taken from us too soon because of gun violence, we have to ask ourselves if this is the world we are going to accept," Tyler Lee, a student and gun violence awareness advocate said.
Lee is a Peachtree Ridge High School student looking to make a difference.
“The tragedy that has happened with Timothy Henderson more than political cannon fodder. He was a person. He was an alumni of my high school Peachtree Ridge and he deserves to be remembered," said Lee.
Timothy Henderson was just 18 when he was shot to death in his apartment complex on May 4. Gwinnett County Police arrested a 19-year-old in connection with Henderson's murder.
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Henderson's mother said she wants to speak up about gun violence in the hopes of helping others.
“Its hard being here but at the same time I feel like it’s a cause that needs to be spoken up on and I would hope that this would be a message for the younger generation to see. You don’t want your parents going through this," said Lashika Almond.
One gun safety awareness advocate says one of the biggest components of keeping people safe 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 where someone has a gun lock could save a life.”
Organizers hope that calling attention to gun violence will resonate with the community, make a difference down the line and ultimately save a life.
The family of Timothy Henderson is looking to raise money for his burial expenses and to help his mom financially as she mourns his loss.
That fundraiser can be found here.