On September 22, 2019, I received a phone call that changed my entire life forever. My firstborn son was shot multiple times and killed. He had just turned 21 two weeks prior to that, and he was scheduled to move down south to attend junior college. His dream was to be a pro football player.
We both moved from Germany to the U.S. back in March 2000. Rachid was a very loving, caring and giving child. He loved his brothers; they were his life. Rachid enjoyed helping me around the house and his neighbors. He was very talented; in 2015 he won one of the best science projects in our city and was offered a great scholarship opportunity. He enjoyed playing video games and spending the majority of his time at the football field. Rachid would put a big smile on your face when you had a bad day. He was practicing Islam and following his mother’s Moroccan culture.
I lost my son to senseless gun violence. My heart will be forever broken. But I will continue to fight for his justice.
His dreams, our future, was taken away from us. He was truly my caretaker and first love. A very painful journey.