Organizers hope to raise awareness about gun violence following death of 65-year-old woman in St. Mary Parish
FRANKLIN, La. (KLFY) -- Three anti-gun-violence vigils are happening across Acadiana Wednesday.
The communities of Lafayette, Eunice, and Franklin have all lost people to what citizens are calling senseless shootings.
Rock Jones was in her own home Saturday 20 minutes after midnight when Franklin Police say someone drove by her house spraying it with bullets. The bullet holes are still visible from what killed the 65-year-old and wounded her son.
"Rock's house was one of those places that all of the kids in the neighborhood, all of the kids were there," Lashon Proctor remembered of the woman's home of 50 years.
He grew up as Rock Jones's godchild. She was a renowned cook, devout Christian, and pillar in her family. Proctor said she was the only one of his family who did not move from Franklin.
Proctor said, "She loved that community enough. She loved that area enough to where she stayed there. That's why so senseless at least it seems to be to me because everyone knew her."
Mayor Eugene Foulcard admitted innocents being killed is all too common, having lost two of his nephews as robbery victims. Foulcard said if the people who killed Mrs. Jones are to be caught or other shootings are to be prevented, authorities can't do it alone.
"It's easy to point fingers and say, 'Hey the mayor is not doing enough. The chief is not doing enough,' but what are you doing?", Foulcard pressed. "Make that call. It could save your life. It could save your neighbor's life."
Walking down Jones's home street of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, it was difficult to find someone willing to speak on the matter, but after a half-dozen tries, James Otis answered the call.
"I can't see anyone being afraid to do the right thing. I don't want to live that way," Otis stated.
Otis, Foulcard, and Proctor all wanted to see more people willing to invest in and correct children including the children or adults responsible for Mrs. Jones's death.
"Once we expose those persons, then we can start to control our gun violence in our areas, but as long as the community is silent, as long as the community not saying who it is, then they are going to continue to have that sense of protection," Proctor warned. "We have to stop it now, and if we can stop it now, then it won't get to the next person's home."
Rock Jones's vigil will be right here at 509 MLK Drive at 6:30.