Men United Against Violence (MUAV) has a new billboard in Mobile honoring juvenile victims of violent crime.
"Remember Their Names," the billboard states.
"Ahmond, 17; Cailee, 9; Ciara, 14; Jakobi, 16; Laquinten, 11."
The billboard is posted at the busy intersection of Moffett Road and Spring Hill Avenue.
MUAV founder and Mobile Police Sgt. John Young said he wanted innocent victims to be remembered.
"The victims' innocent blood has been shed, and these are the names we should recite," Young said. "These are the people who deserve to be remembered. Hopefully, people driving by will remember these victims. They remember these innocent children whom the parents will never see again and decide that, you know what, they're right."
"We need to get involved and call out the offenders and put them in jail so there aren't any more innocent lives lost," he continued.
Men United Against Violence was founded two years ago after the deaths of two young people, Laquinten Morrissette and Ciarra Jackson.
"Laquinten was killed inside of his residence in a drive-by shooting, and Ciarra was killed while she and her friends drove down a street named after Michael Donald, who was the last lynching victim of the Ku Klux Klan," Young explained.
Laquinten and Ciarra are on the billboard.
FM Talk 106.5 host and MUAV member Sean Sullivan came up with the idea to list the victims' names.
"I think the community shouldn't forget the names of innocent victims of gun violence," Sullivan told 1819 News. "Remembering their names should drive efforts to address the senseless murders in our city."
"I believe just looking at a list or statistics of children killed doesn't have the effect of seeing their names and ages on the billboard," he continued. "I also wanted the families still grieving the loss of their son or daughter to know they won't be forgotten."
Young hopes MUAV can inspire families to come together to prevent crime.
"What we're lacking is family," Young said. "With strong families, we know that kids are less likely, people are less likely to commit crimes. So, we're just trying to get back to a human standard of compassion and love through family."
The billboard will be displayed until November 24.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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