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US Mothers Fighting Against Gun Violence | Close Up

Mothers who have lost children to homicide in Columbus, Ohio, stand up to rising gun violence.

Tracy Tate, a mother from Columbus, Ohio, lost her son to gun violence in 2020.

Tracy is not alone in her grief. The gun homicide rate in the United States rose 35 percent in the first year of the pandemic.

While grappling with her loss, Tracy finds support and community through Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children (MOMCC). The group was founded in response to a record-breaking number of homicides in Columbus in 2020 and 2021 and provides resources to mothers who have lost a child to homicide.

This is a story about the immense weight of grief, solidarity through community work and the continuing ripple effects of gun violence.

Credits: 

A film by: Christiana Botic and Lauren Santucci

Producer: Alaa Alhussan

Editors: Christiana Botic, Lauren Santucci & Alaa Alhussan

EP: Tierney Bonini