While community activists in some of Boston's south side neighborhoods have declared a state of emergency following a string of fatal shootings, one mother is working to help the grieving families left behind.

Chaplain Clementina Chéry, president and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, named after her 15-year-old son who was fatally shot in Dorchester in 1993, said a long-term and sustainable public health approach is needed to end the violence.

"Right now, as a culture, we're still investing in the aftermath," Chéry observed. "We're still investing in prisons, police and prosecution."

It is estimated for every one homicide victim, at least 10 surviving family members are affected by the trauma. So far this year, 37 people have been killed by homicide in Boston alone.

Chéry noted the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute offers crucial support to families in the first 24 to 72 hours after a homicide, and provides them with a Survivors' Burial and Resource Guide, along with tools needed to manage grief, which she said have not always been readily available.

"You know, you have a baby, you leave with a care package," Chéry pointed out. "But when your loved one was murdered back then, you're just left empty-handed. You didn't know what to do."

Families are also supported through the police investigation and any court proceedings. Chéry added the goal is to change the public's response to homicide by changing the narratives surrounding homicide victims.

When Chéry's son Louis was killed, news reports speculated whether his murder was a gang or drug-related crime. But public opinion changed when reports showed he was, in fact, an honor student, killed walking to an anti-gang violence meeting.

Chéry remembered help and resources soon poured in, making her question how other families of murder victims were being treated.

"I wanted to pay it forward, and I wanted to show if the city can respond to me, then they can respond to anybody whose child is murdered, regardless of the circumstances."

And cities beyond Boston are responding, with police, district attorneys and community activists in places like Hartford, Philadelphia and San Francisco taking a cue from Chéry's decades of work to support homicide victims' families, and spread her son's message that peace is possible.

A bill to make it more difficult for local police to enforce federal gun laws and in some cases criminally penalize them, now heads to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's desk.

Kentucky lawmakers have secured enough votes to override a veto of House Bill 153, which bans state and local law enforcement and other public officials from enforcing federal firearms regulations enacted after Jan. 1, 2021.

Cathy Hobart, a volunteer for Kentucky Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said she is concerned the measure could hamper efforts to protect communities from rising levels of gun violence.

"What we know is that the more guns that are in circulation, the more likely they are to be stolen, the more likely they are to get into the hands of people that have no business having those guns like children and criminals," Hobart pointed out.

According to Mental Health America, 85% of suicide attempts with a firearm result in death. More than 800 Kentuckians died by suicide in 2020, and 65% involved a firearm.

Kentuckians in crisis can call 988 24 hours a day, seven days a week to speak with suicide prevention and mental health counselors.

Hobart added it is not up to states to decide which federal laws they are going to enforce. She also pointed out the legislation's vague wording could create confusion among police officers.

"It makes it difficult for law enforcement to know which laws to enforce," Hobart contended. "That will lead to confusion, we think it will lead to more gun crime in the long run."

Supporters of the bill argue the federal government, not the state of Kentucky, is responsible for enforcing its own gun laws. Last week President Biden signed an executive order strengthening background check requirements for firearms dealers.


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As the National Rifle Association gears up for annual events next month in Indianapolis, another group is speaking out about rightful handgun ownership and accessibility as gun-related crimes increase. In advance of the NRA get-together, the group Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence will hold a "Teach-In," to help shift the dialogue to focus on the surplus of firearms that contributes to an already violent society.

Jerry King, Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, said it is proposing more background checks and improved enforcement of Indiana's so-called Red Flag Law to address gun-related incidents - including suicide, domestic violence and homicide.

"We live in a nation, we live in a city, in a state that's just awash with guns. And so we focus, really, in on that particular problem," King said.

King added he understands many people will not readily relinquish their firearms, and his group would support legislation to limit sales and possession of assault weapons. The Teach-In event is scheduled for April 8th. Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence was created in 1992 when a teen fatally shot his parents after purchasing a weapon from a local gun store.

King said his nonprofit also was vocal in its opposition to Governor Eric Holcomb's signing of House Bill 1296 into law last year, allowing people to carry guns without a license or permit.

"We just think that was the most reckless and foolish policy measure - and so, we are interested in a campaign that might see that very, very bad law reversed," King said.

His group will also launch a leadership development program for 16-to-22-year-olds this fall, King said, focusing on conflict resolution, civic engagement and principles of democracy. The NRA events are coming up in downtown Indianapolis April 14th to 16th.

Michigan faith leaders are meeting with members of the state Legislature to push for action on gun safety.

House leaders, including Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, and several others, are attending a Monday forum with the Council of Baptist Pastors and the group End Gun Violence Michigan. Democratic leaders, already working to pass gun violence legislation, are now "fast-tracking" the bills in the wake of last month's deadly shooting at Michigan State University.

Ryan Bates, communications director for End Gun Violence Michigan, said the pastors will also discuss the effect gun violence is having on their congregations.

"Faith leaders are coming together with elected leaders to discuss the reality and the challenges that neighborhoods are facing, and to hear what legislators are doing about gun violence," Bates explained.

Lawmakers are considering a package of firearms safety bills, including universal background checks, safe storage requirements, and red flag laws allowing judges to temporarily confiscate guns from individuals deemed to be unsafe. The forum is at the Jordan Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit.

The Feb. 13 shooting left three MSU students dead and critically injured five others. But Bates noted it was not an isolated incident. Every year, 1,270 people die, and guns wound more than 2,400 in Michigan.

He emphasized they hope to humanize the grim statistics.

"We'll be hearing from survivors of gun violence -- parents who've lost their children -- who want more to be done," Bates pointed out. "We know that the goal of ending gun violence, and having a state where all of our children come home from school or from a birthday party, that's going to take a lot of work."