Prayer vigil held for one-year-old Kylin Brooks, advocating for gun safety

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - In a time, the community needs it most, the on-site prayer vigil group is uplifting those whose lives are forever changed by gun violence.  

“It’s really, super sad to lose one of our babies,” says Cecilia Edwards-Brown, a member of Mamas Against Violence.  

On Thursday night they prayed for the family of one-year-old Kylin Brooks, who was shot by his two-year-old cousin after getting his hands on his father’s loaded gun.  

Just over a week ago, police revealed that the two-year-old that shot Brooks did so after the fully loaded gun was left on the floor.   

Tina Velthuizen, a local priest who joined in on the vigil, says she baptized Kylin just before he passed.  

“Baptizing at the point of death, that’s a different experience,” reflects Velthuizen. “It’s a mixture of joy and sorrow.”  

Mamas Against Violence was also there to show support to the family, as they know losing any child is never easy.  

“We just have to keep being supportive and keep putting our arms around young people,” Edwards-Brown says.  

The tragic death has left many in the community heavily advocating for gun safety and responsibility.  

Not only is this group praying for the healing of the family, but that people use this story as an example to be safer with their firearms.  

“A good that could come out of it is that people who have guns and that they keep them safe; they keep them locked, they keep them unloaded and different things, all of which would in fact assist in preventing this kind of unnecessary death,” says Velthuizen.  

In the wake of Brooks’ death, State Representative Maureen Bauer is calling for safe storage. 

legislation that would require firearms to be properly stored that would avoid shootings like these.  

You can be a part of the change now by coming to the South Bend Police Department and picking up a free gun lock to protect yourself and others around you.