‘A community problem’: Union County mother brings teens, leaders together to discuss gun violence

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A mother is bringing together teens across Union County in a push against violence.

Tina Sykes-Mosley told Channel 9’s Gina Esposito that she wanted to create a safe space for teens to speak. She also said there is still a lot the community needs to understand about gun violence in Union County.

Sykes-Mosley has lost two sons to gun violence.

“They took that from me,” she told Esposito in recent months. “They took my baby.”

And Monroe Police say that an argument at a high school basketball game has led to two separate teen shootings.

“The big misconception, especially here, in Union County is that we don’t have a major problem – and that’s the wrong way of thinking," Sykes-Mosley said. “We have an abundance of drive-by shootings all the time.”

Sykes-Mosley is the founder of MARCUS, or Mothers Advocating for Real Change and Unwavering Support. The organization supports mothers of homicide victims and is looking for solutions to gun violence.

Its next endeavor is to host a Union County teen summit to talk about gun violence.

“The purpose of this is to create a safe space for teens to come to us to tell us what does gun violence and bullying and mental health look like from their perspective,” she said. “Then, we’re going to ask them... what do we do to resolve this?”

Teens from high schools across the county have been invited to speak, Sykes-Mosley. And there to listen, city and county leaders, law enforcement, and other groups seeking solutions to gun violence.

She said she also plans to host mental health specialists and resources for the teens and their parents.

“This is a community problem—and unless the community gets involved, we are going to see more drive-by shootings, more death," Sykes-Mosley said. “After all, school will be out in a couple of weeks.. Crime escalates in the summer, so we are trying to get ahead of this.”

The summit is open to the public. It is happening at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Monroe Police Department. Learn more here.

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