MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For too many families, gun violence has taken away mothers, fathers and even children. In a matter of moments, lives will never be the same. However, while some find peace, others are left without answers.
“That is my biggest question. Why? Why?”
It’s the question Vanessa Terry has asked for over a month after she lost her daughter Vanity Macklin.
“She was big to the community, heart big, loved everybody,” said Terry.
According to her, Vanity would give the shirt off her back to help someone out, especially her two sons. October 17 was just another day for the Macklin family, Vanity was taking one of her sons to practice.
“I spoke with her that day at 5-ish, she dropped my grandson off to go to basketball practice, the 12-year-old, and she said she was going to the office,” said Terry.
Later that same day, however, Terry got a call no mother would ever want to hear.
“He was, ‘Granny, Granny get here now, my mom just got shot,” said Terry.
Vanity Macklin was shot in the head while in the car with her sons. Macklin later died in the hospital. Now a month later, Terry is still left without an answer on who killed her daughter.
“It’s very, very hard to wake up every day having to reface, my heart re-breaks every day,” said Terry.
The community Macklin cared so much about has now rallied to her family’s side, making sure her boys are taken care of. One effort includes a GoFundMe, set up by her sister.
“We have really, really built a whole community. We’re a village for them, to support them,” said Terry.
Macklin’s family is begging anyone with any information on what happened in the 4100 block of Millbranch to contact Memphis police so that her sons may have justice.
“For her to be snatched and robbed from them, my main thing is making sure that we get justice for her, for them, for me, her brother and sister, her dad, all of the family and friends that she touched. We need justice for her,” said Terry.