NEW ORLEANS — Like most parents, Gary and Sharon Poleate had big dreams for their daughter, Jezreel.
“I had hopes for my daughter,” Gary Poleate said. “I had hopes of her life. You know, getting married, having children or grandchildren.”
Those dreams quickly turned into nightmares when she was killed in the warehouse district mass shooting Sunday night.
"It just breaks you. You just can't hold it,” Sharon Poleate said.
In Gentilly, Carroll Turner is preparing to bury her son, Darriel King, after he was shot and killed outside of Wits Inn Bar just last week.
“I told him I would see him in the morning, by the grace of God,” Carroll Turner said. “That’s the last words we spoke.”
Two families will be incomplete forever because of gun violence.
“I asked the officials of the city to do something about this, this violence. It has to stop. Innocent people being killed and maimed and destroyed,” Gary Poleate said.
This growing issue is why some city officials are now speaking out against recently passed legislation, with plans to take concerns directly to lawmakers in Baton Rouge.
“We are looking into new ways in which we can attack the problem with guns,” New Orleans Police Department Chief Deputy Superintendent Hans Gantheir said.
Permitless concealed carry was passed during Jeff Landry’s special session on crime. It is legislation New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick fears will make the city less safe.
"We should’ve never had legislation passed for even permitless carry," NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said. "Let’s not go backward in gun violence, and this bill not only puts us going backward but also endangers every law enforcement officer out here because knowing you’re carrying doesn’t give us just immediately the opportunity to check you out, and that creates a higher risk to safety."
That’s why Representative Alonzo Knox proposed a different bill, which would create firearm-free zones, including the French Quarter and Downtown Development District where Jezreel was killed Sunday night.
In a statement to WWL Louisiana, Knox said in part, "In light of recent tragic events...it has become increasingly clear that measures must be taken to ensure the safety and security of our communities." He continued, "Our city's unique charm should not be overshadowed by the continued looming threat of violence."
Jazreel’s parents say that this violence needs to end before more people get hurt.
“Too many mothers are crying too many fathers have lost their siblings. It's time to stop,” Gary Poleate said.
Carroll Turner says she leans on her faith during this difficult time. Darriel King’s family will hold a celebration of life ceremony on Saturday, April 20.
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