NORFOLK, Va. - As one-month-old Honesty continues to fight for her life at CHKD, several family members and those in the Norfolk community poured out into the streets showing love, support and their commitment to bring about justice and change.
Honesty’s cousin Jazmin Sherard led the 1.6-mile march down Goff Street and Tidewater Drive, over to Church Street and back to the community center in Huntersville where they started.
Chants of “Honesty Strong,” and calls for justice for the newborn filled the streets.
“She’s definitely still a fighter,” said Sherard. “She’s still fighting and we’re going to continue to fight for her.”
Honesty was exactly 30 days old when nearly two weeks ago on August 25, she became a one of the city’s youngest victims of gun violence.
Norfolk Police said several people were in the courtyard at Lexington Park Apartments in the Huntersville neighborhood when there was an exchange of words among the group.
“There was a possible disturbance then a hell of gunfire,” said Cpl. Latoya Mitchell with the Norfolk Police Dept.
A barrage of bullets struck the infant, her mother Jakireya Brehon and three other adults who police say are not related to the family but know each other from the community. Honesty was the only victim left with devastating injuries.
Police are tracking down witnesses that will help lead them to an arrest of a suspect.
“Numerous people were out right before this act violence occurred; we want to follow up with those people,” said Cpl. Mitchell.
Close to 100 people took to the streets as a sign of solidarity for Honesty.
Bilal Muhammad, a community leader with Stop the Violence Team, is pushing for change and for an end to the gun violence, especially within Black communities.
“We’re not making no progress,” Muhammad said. “What we’re doing is we’re degrading our situation as a race, as a people when we bring about Black on Black crime.”
Muhammad said he doesn’t know the Brehon family personally but felt compelled to be at the march.
“When one child is shot, when one human being is shot, my heart bleeds too,” he said.
As Honesty’s family continues to heal and pray for a strong recovery for the infant, they’re hoping to spread awareness to stop the vicious cycle of violence.
“The message goes beyond this,” said Sherard. “It’s other children in this neighborhood whose safety is at risk if these types of things continue to happen.”
Police are asking anyone with any information about the shooting to come forward. You can call the lead investigator on the case Detective Walsh at 757-633-9754.
