LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Last Friday, five people left what was El Cid restaurant with gunshot wounds, and one man lost his life – 31-year-old Antoine Clay. Thursday, business owners and residents came back to the scene to discuss what happened and how to move forward as a community.
One Lexington mom, Alisa Hairston says, "It’s all over Lexington not just in this neighborhood its everywhere. And we want to be safe."
Two Lexington moms who lost their children to gun violence came to the press conference – including Hairston and Priscilla Sandifer. Hairston lost her 17-year-old son, Berkley Parks. Sandifer lost her 20-year-old daughter, Amaya Sandifer.
Hairston says, "My heart goes out to the families, it goes out to the mother that lost her child. My heart hurts for her because I know what it feels like to lose a child to gun violence.”
The moms say they know what Clay's family is going through. They want to share words of comfort.
Hairston says, "His spirit is right there with you. Remember all the good things that you experienced with your child. And really, you're going to need to get some resources and you're going to need to have some therapy.”
Sandifer says, "I want to let you know from one mother to another you can make it. It's going to be extremely difficult the days and the nights are not going to be easy but just know that you can make it."
They came out to show their support and to share that ending this type of violence takes everyone's effort.
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"It is a community involvement that is going to come together and help these kids or younger generation to stop this unnecessary gun violence because too many lives are lost,” says Sandifer.
Chad Walker with Walker Properties owns the El Cid building and more in the neighborhood. He wanted to bring everyone here to assure them that as a community we're all stronger together.
Walker says, "No matter what obstacle throws us no matter what bump in the road there happens to be we always come back to that place of we all want to make the world a little bit better."
