‘We are fed up’ - J’can mom who lost only child to gun violence wants firearm ban

On any given Mother's Day, Nadine McKenzie would anticipate receiving butterfly kisses and handmade gifts from her only child, Shamoya McKenzie.

But yesterday, as she laid in bed, McKenzie did not wake up to her daughter's captivating smile or gift-wrapped package. Shamoya, a budding high-school basketball star, was driving in her mother's car when she was shot by gangsters trading bullets in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 31, 2016.

"I remember I would get a big rose made from school or a mug that says 'Mother' from Shamoya. She always made the day special. It's so hard to get out of bed. I visited her tomb on Saturday and sat and reflected," said McKenzie, who was born in Jamaica but lives in the US.

Sincere Savoy, a 26-year-old member of the Goonies street gang, was sentenced to 22 years in jail for Shamoya's death in 2022. McKenzie said she has found the strength to forgive her daughter's killer, and hopes that he will get a chance to be reformed and make good of himself.

"I am a Christian and I believe in the power of forgiveness and its healing. Some people can never understand how I could forgive my daughter's killer, but one day he will be released into the world again and I want him to be somebody good in society. The bullet was not meant for Shamoya; it was a stray bullet and I won't hold it against him for the rest of his life. If we are praying for God to heal and deliver us, then we must learn how to forgive," McKenzie said.

These days, McKenzie and other mothers who lost offspring spend a portion of their time lobbying for a ban on assault rifles. Last week, the group had a meeting with US President Joe Biden in New York.

"The team is called 'Mom demands actions for gun violence' and they are all around America fighting for gun safety. I was in [the] third row, and I felt good as a Jamaican woman to just be included in this meeting. The White House is aware of the situation that happened to Shamoya, and the congressman spoke about it and how we can control gun violence, because it is getting so rough here in New York, too," McKenzie said.

"It's not an easy road. Yesterday [Saturday] we did a big march on the Tappan Zee Bridge in regard to banning rifles and other guns, and hundreds of moms came with us. We are fed up and want assault rifles to be banned on the federal level. I had a great time Saturday night as I went out; but I came home and it's not easy," she added.

As she continues to process the death of her only child, McKenzie said she is also helping other mothers to cope with their grief.

"I am ... letting them know that we will see our children again in another life. God has turned my life around, as he has brought me down to the lowest level to bring me to the highest top," she said.