Families affected by gun violence in Chicago call for peace: 'you cannot become numb to violence'

CHICAGO - Families affected by gun violence gathered together Tuesday with Rep. La Shawn Ford to call for peace.

So many parents buried their kids last year as nearly 60 kids were shot and killed. 

Now, parents are standing up and demanding help.

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State Rep. La Shawn Ford is calling on the state government to dispense the billions of federal pandemic dollars to be used on people.

He hopes to be able to use the money on things like mental health, housing and substance use disorders. 

Rep. Ford sat down with family members from eight different victims of gun violence at the Thompson Center, and heard their stories to shed light on the nonstop violence.

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They talked about why it's so hard to heal after losing a child and what resources they would like to see. 

"If you want to murder a child in Chicago or in Illinois, there needs to be a special investigations unit coming for you — just has to happen. We have to get ahead of this. We can no longer continue to allow this to happen. You cannot become numb to violence when it results in a child dying. And people just simply go on about their lives. That's not okay," said Angela Greg, mother of Mychal Moultry Jr.

Rep. Ford is calling on the governor and state lawmakers to work together to bring more relief for these families.