JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Unity speaks volumes. Those are the words of Feletta Smith, a survivor of violence who is taking a near-death experience and turning it into an awareness walk.
"It's aiming to bring awareness to all of the crime and everything that we have going on in the city," Smith said. "It's gotten to be so overwhelming."
Smith, who organized the walk for a group called Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, is partly motivated by a desire for peace and the moment she was shot at. She survived by faking her death.
"I was at a friend's house, visiting him and his son. I was shot seven times by my friend's roommate," Smith said. "He tried to kill me. He kept on shooting, and I played dead, so that's the reason why I'm still here."
Smith and others, like Earnest Proudme, believe that walking is a powerful statement for change and the lives that have already been lost to violence.
"My wife was a victim of a violent crime, and I'm here to support her for policy and change," Proudme said. "You don't have to continue to be a victim because we have tools in place that can help you recover and overcome your trauma. Through healing and policies, we are trying to advocate in Tallahassee."
In Duval County, there have been several violent crimes this year.
The group will continue to walk for victims and survivors.
"Although I am a survivor, I just think about the ones who have their lost loved ones, their children, their siblings, their parents, their grandparents, you know, to violence, to crime," Smith said. "Most of the time, it's just senseless."
Anyone who knows information about a recent crime can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.