A club no one wants to be in: mothers who lost their children to gun violence

[Surya Gayatri]

Every day in America, seven kids are killed in gun violence. From Sandy Hook to New York, the mothers who grieve for them are trying to do something about it

From talking with mothers, many of whom have gone on to start foundations and advocate for reform, Smith says she has been most surprised to learn about the ease with which illegal guns cross state lines, particularly from southern states with more lenient gun laws into the north-east.

“There’s actually a sanctioned machine that allows criminals to get guns right now and that’s a very fixable problem,” Smith said. “What I would like to do [with this project] is take the conversation out of the theoretical and put it in people’s face.”
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Nicole Hockley is one of the dozens of Connecticut parents whose life was torn apart when Adam Lanza walked into the Sandy Hook elementary school and began killing students and faculty. “For the first year after losing Dylan, I felt shame and guilt if I even smiled. But you have to find a way to let those feelings come back. I hope to someday. I’m not there yet.”

Twenty-six people died at Sandy Hook, including 20 elementary-aged students. President Obama has called the mass shooting the worst day of his presidency.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/07/mothers-children-gun-violence-victims-ali-smith-photography