My 14-year-old son, Vernon Eddins Jr., was murdered by gang members on December 21, 2007. It was senseless gun violence due to bullying. He and his friends were bullied for over a year by this same gang of older boys … My son,Vernon, was not in a gang.
On the day of my son’s murder, he cut school to walk home a younger child that was being bullied and assaulted by this same gang of older boys. Vernon and his friends did just that and then stood at the bus stop, going to the movies on this last day of school before winter break. He was approached and shot in the heart and died on the grounds of the junior high school he had attended the year before.
Vernon was such a loving kid, as well as a prankster … Pranking was an everyday part of life for him. My son was so funny, smart and loving, and losing him was the hardest thing that I’ve ever faced. It’s still so unbelievable, 13 years later.
Since Vernon’s murder, I’ve founded a nonprofit organization bringing awareness to bullying, and helping our youth and their families with identifying and reporting bullying. Mommy loves you, baby boy.