Mothers gather to honor survivors of gun violence

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – A group of Jacksonville-area mothers gathered Monday evening to honor survivors of gun violence.

Volunteers with the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America held a gathering at 6 p.m. in a courtyard at a Neptune Beach shopping center as part of National Gun Violence Survivors Week.

The group planned to place a temporary rock memorial in the courtyard and hold a ceremony, which was set to include a reading of the proclamation signed by the Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach mayors in recognition of National Gun Violence Survivors Week in the community.

Many people in the group are mothers whose children died from gun violence, including Rhonda Kelly -- the mother of 23-year-old Leon Bennett, who was shot and killed during an altercation in June 2018 in Jacksonville Beach.

The mothers and supporters at Monday’s event told News4Jax that they want to bring awareness of the gun violence that is plaguing the area.