Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

This Baltimore Mother Refuses to Accept Violence as the Norm

baltimoremagazine.com · 14dShare

This story was originally published by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for its newsletters here . In early July, more than 100 people stopped by Sawmill Creek Park just across the Baltimore City line in Glen Burnie for the third-annual “Aaliyah Day.” It was a good turnout, especially given the triple-digit temperatures that threatened to keep some away. The stifling weather didn’t stop attendees from playing basketball or entering raffles for cash, shoes, and Orioles tickets. A DJ played upbeat music as family and friends handed out food and cold water. People chatted and exchanged quiet smiles. Many paused to look at the tribute on the black metal fence, where Aaliyah’s portrait hung alongside eight others, all young people lost to gun violence. The day before the event, Krystal Gonzalez, Aaliyah’s mother, felt overtaken by emotions. “Yesterday was full of tears, a rollercoaster,” she said. “This was the last day that I saw my baby alive on Ju

First report: This Mother Refused to Accept Violence as Normal — thetrace.org, 14d