'Not one more life:' Mothers united by gun violence tragedy call for action, change

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Several mountain mothers are continuing to demand action as gun violence continues to wreak havoc.

Sunday, June 4, the Moms Demand Action group hosted a gun violence awareness rally at the Arthur Edington Education Center in Asheville.

It was part of a nationwide "Wear Orange Weekend," during which people impacted by gun violence wear orange to honor the victims lost to gun violence as well as survivors, as they raise awareness about the nation's gun violence crisis.

“We are calling for an end to this crisis,” said Mary Graden, with Asheville Moms Demand Action.

According to GunViolenceArchive.com, there have been 18,115 deaths involving guns so far this year in the United States.

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About 100 people attended the rally, which featured local mothers Teresa Mosely and Javelin Duncan as keynote speakers.

“The more people are involved, it's (gun violence) going to stop,” said Mosley. “Maybe not tomorrow or next month, but eventually, it’s going to stop. We’ll see a downward swerve of deaths and gun violence.”

“It's real important that our message gets through that gun violence [needs to] stop,” said Duncan.

According to a 2021 report issued by Everytown, North Carolina has the 17th highest rate of gun violence in the country.

“We’re letting people know we want a change,” Mosely told the crowd, as she shared her story. “It’s making our voices heard.”

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Mosely knows firsthand the devastation gun violence has on a family.

“In my mind, I’m thinking, 'I’m not going through this again,'” Mosely said during her speech. “In 2015, my husband was murdered so I said there’s no way I’m going through this again.”

In May 2022, Mosley was on vacation when she received a call her son had been shot at Hillcrest Apartments.

“The phone call only lasted a minute or two,” said Mosley. “I had no longer walked off the balcony and the phone rang.”

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Her vacation would come to a tragic end once she learned her youngest son had been shot 15 times.

“I had my son for 21 years five months and 17 days,” Mosley said. “My son was in his senior year at Barton University, and he was able to graduate this year honorary.”

A mother’s heartbreak is now the driving force behind change. Mosely started the Keith Mosely Foundation in honor of her son.

"I’ve always said I don’t want my son’s death to be in vain,” said Mosley. “I just want to be out there. It’s good to talk, but we’ve got to work. I’m keeping him alive, and preventing someone else’s tragedy."

Her pleas for change echo that of Duncan who lost her son, Teylyn McAlpin, to gun violence in 2020.

“It helps me,” said Duncan. “It’s like a therapy for me because getting the word and message out is part of the healing.”

Duncan will host an event in her son’s honor on June 11. The event, "Victim Awareness Rally," will take place at the Temple Avery Montford Center from 4-6 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to bring the shoes of someone they knew who passed from gun violence and wear orange.

“We’ve got to stop it,” said Mosley, talking about gun violence. "Not one more life should be lost to gun violence. Not one more."