RICHMOND, Va. -- A 15-year-old and a 31-year-old mother were murdered while a 3 and 6-year-old are recovering after being shot in the leg, marking an exceptionally violent 24 hours in Richmond.
"As men we should be doing whatever we can to protect our kids - assisting whoever we need to and doing whatever we need to to keep our kids alive," said Jay Moore, whose says his grandchild was about two feet from being struck by a bullet that came through a window of their home.
Other bullets hit close by injuring a 3-year-old girl next door and killing a 15-year-old about 50 yards away.
"It made me reaffirm that as a parent and grandparent-- I need to come out here and show I care and want to protect these kids," Moore said.
Across town on the southside nearly three hours later, a 6-year-old girl was shot in the knee when a bullet fired through the front into her kitchen. Her mother said she has no words for the triggerman.
Crime Insider sources say that more than a half dozen rounds were fired into the Summer Hill Avenue home.
The mother said that the problem is a lost cause
"Kids are already out here 15, 10... I can't tell the city nothin..It ain't gonna change..My words won't change it."
Councilman Mike Jones has called for defunding the police - which he said means allocating parts of the city's police budget towards programs that would empower children and teenagers to not resort to crime.
"We're not talking about taking police boots off the ground," Jones said. "Whether it's the police budget, DPW budget, or the overall budget, we've got to find a way to put monies towards making individuals find a way to make different life choices."
Mayor Levar Stoney said he wants the way the city is policed to change and has asked Jones to be part of his new task force and make recommendations
