A grieving mother opens the candlelight vigil to all families affected by a homicide

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With the number of homicides in Jacksonville increasing by 2020, a local mother wants to help those who have lost loved ones.

After the death of her son while sitting in her car nearly two years ago, Tina Gray formed a support group, Compassionate Warriors Inc., to help other families cope with the tragic loss of a loved one.

Knowing that the holidays are a tough time for these families, Gray is holding a candlelight vigil at 6pm on Saturday at Riverside Memorial Park.

Gray said his 20-year-old son loved Christmas.

“That was one of his favorite vacations,” Gray said. “It’s not the same.”

Since Trevor Gray’s death, Tina has seen more families lose their loved ones to violence. News4Jax records show that there have been 171 homicides so far in 2020. Of these, 137 of these were classified as murders by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

For Tina, the increase in the number of homicides has made her mission stronger.

“Mourning, touch,” Gray said. “It gives them the opportunity to unite with others who are going through the same thing, so that they don’t feel alone. We do what we can to support each other. “

Families are invited to talk about their loved ones and are encouraged to bring a toy to the vigil that will be given to children in need in Jacksonville.

For Gray, he created a small memorial in front of his house to make sure his son’s memory lasts. This is a message that made clear the praying hand he put on his name.