Durham unveils memorial garden honoring gun violence victims
Durham has a new garden honoring those affected by a long-standing and heartbreaking struggle.
The memorial garden at Asbury United Methodist Church was dedicated Saturday morning to honor victims of gun violence.
Just off Durham's Clarendon Street, family, friends, and loved ones who've lost someone to gun violence gather for a somber dedication.
The path to healing in Durham feels even steeper after another week of shootings.
"As I think most of you know, five people were shot on Thursday afternoon," Carl Rist, Durham City Council, At-Large said.
The garden is the work of a group of Durham churches, the Central Durham Cooperative Mission, spearheaded by church leaders like JJ Porter.
"We just wanted to have a beautiful space for people to connect with, "JJ Porter, Six:Eight Church Worship Director, said.
The ceremony Saturday included victim families, including Nelly Montesdeoca, whose daughter, Emily, was shot and killed in Durham in 2022.
"Emily was only 22 years old and she was taken from me," Montesdeoca said.
Organizers like Alexandra Valladares used the moment to shine a light on murders of immigrant families, which are, she says, frequently under-reported and made all the more painful by a language barrier between first responders and families.
"This is the reality. It was two weeks this mom was calling those offices, but because of a language barrier, families like Nelly's family don't get any answers," Valladares said.
For his part, JJ Porter hopes this garden will serve two purposes for families like Montesdeoca's.
"A place for people to lament, and a place of reflection," Porter said.
Reflection for a family, a community, a city, united by a common pain.
