MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – In the past week, three children have died in apparent drive-by shootings across the city and their killers are still out there.
10-year-old Jadon Knox was killed while walking home in Orange Mound Sunday. 6-year-old Ashlynn Luckett and 16-year-old Lequan Boyd were killed in a suspected drive-by shooting inside a Hickory Hill home Monday.
A city and county-wide moment of silence will be held in their honor Sunday, January 26, at 11am.
Pastor Donald Johnson of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Bartlett says he was crushed when he heard the news of three children losing their lives to gun violence. He says the problem goes well beyond the church, and it’s going to take real effort in the community to get the gun violence under control here.
“I think this is the first time in a long time we’ve seen three children killed innocently all in one week,” Pastor Johnson said. “To hear about those families who are just hurting and wounded as a result of the loss, the instant loss of their children, innocent lives so it really just broke my heart as a dad because I have children and grandchildren.”
Johnson believes the recent violence isn’t the result of a community issue, but rather a loss of traditional values in the home.
“I’ve heard people say this, that it takes a village to raise a child and while I think that’s true, what happens when the village gets sick? So then we’re still producing sick people,” Johnson explained.
The Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission are asking for the public to honor them during a city-wide moment of silence Sunday morning.
According to a news release, “The Council entreats the entire citizenry to pause and reflect during a Moment of Silence on Sunday, January 26, 2020, at 11:00 am across our community, to remember Ashlynn, Jadon and Lequan and to pray for the protection of all citizens against those lawless individuals who are a plague on our society.”
Pastor Johnson says a moment of silence is kind, but the real work begins in the home.
“Violence is not the key it is not the answer and as we just celebrated with Dr. King and now we are approaching black history month, we need to impress more on our young children, black and white.”