ATLANTA — Parents of murder victims and other community members gathered in Southwest Atlanta on Monday night, demanding an end to gun violence.
One local mother is determined her daughter's death will not be in vain.
The town hall meeting at the Metroplex Theater in Southwest Atlanta lasted for several hours, as community leaders led the group in prayer, murder victims' families recounted stories and community members consoled each other.
"It hurts so deep, I just don't want anyone else to feel this pain, I don't want anyone else to feel this pain that I felt losing my daughter, I want to make a difference," Nia Imani said.
Imani organized the event on her birthday to pay tribute to her daughter Tiara Bogan Jones who was killed in a Peoplestown neighborhood in September.
Her mother says she was an unintended victim of a drive-by shooting by gang members.
The purpose of the gathering was to pray and come up with solutions.
"New stories, all you see in the first ten minutes is murders, home invasions, just violence," said Tauras Whitehead, who attended the meeting.
"We aren't teaching our children to love, their own self-worth because if you cared about yourself more, you wouldn't be susceptible to feed into how our society is," Whitehead said.
"If I can help another family, if I can help save one child, then I know my daughter's death is not in vain," Imani said.