WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — More than 200 people were killed in the District in 2022, and another 16 have been killed so far in 2023.
That includes Keshon Cornish, who was shot and killed in Northeast last month.
“I still don’t know the reason. He was leaving the carryout to get something to eat, it’s senseless. To me it’s senseless. It wasn’t right,” said his mother, Gena Williams.
Williams was one of a few dozen people who attended a healing circle Wednesday night. The evening was organized by DC’s Family and Survivor Support Division, which helps provide wrap-around services for victims of gun violence. That includes those who are left grieving after the fact.
“We try to provide some level of grief and support,” said Program Manager Jeffrey Hill. “We can’t promise what tomorrow will look like, you may not be able to get your head off the pillow, but you made it here today. And we pour into them.”
The agency holds support groups twice a month for families affected by homicide.
Hill said the crimes are far-reaching.
“It’s the ripple effect,” he said. “There’s no way to actually quantify the impact that these homicides have on people.”
On Wednesday night, families shared stories about their loved ones and spoke about the difficulty of dealing with their grief. Repeatedly, people pleaded that others put the guns down.
“When you take the responsibility of having a gun, do you take the responsibility with intent to kill and murder somebody? What kind of people are you?” said Williams.
Police are still searching for the person who killed Cornish. MPD is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
For more information on the work done by FSS, visit https://onse.dc.gov/service/family-and-survivor-support.