According to the Columbus Division of Police, there were 20 homicide investigations as of January 27 for this year alone.
Among the victims, two were between the ages of 1 and 12, seven between 18 and 21 and three were between 22 and 30.
As for the suspects, four were between the ages of 18 to 21, two between 22 to 30 and five between 31 to 40.
The number of homicides has continued to increase since that report was released.
Betty Vaughn lost her son, Marqueiz Lawrence, to gun violence. He would’ve turned 26 on March 4.
The shooting happened on February 17, he was sitting in his car in his apartment complex, when he was shot.
Vaughn describes him as a loyal person with a good heart, was very helpful and was very loved by his family.
He played basketball all throughout his school career and even got a full scholarship to play at Kent State University.
After graduation, Lawrence and a friend started their own business, a clothing line and he owned his own trucking company.
“I don’t know who or why, but so far I have no updates,” Vaughn said.
She said while trying to hold onto the good memories that she has of her son and his accomplishments, it’s often overshadowed by the thought of not having answers.
She’s now part of Mothers of Columbus Murdered Children, an organization founded by Malissa Thomas-St. Clair. The organization supports other mothers who have lost their children to violence.
“I have people around me in my life, family, close friends, but they don’t understand, they don’t feel as much as I do and having people that are going through the same thing, helps,” Vaughn said.
Jacqueline Casimire is a director of Mothers of Columbus Murdered Children and lost her son, Ray Casimire, to violence back on Sept. 24, 2020, three days after his 30th birthday.
Jacqueline said her son was a licensed gun owner and his guns were stolen during the shooting. She said it’s hard to sleep at night knowing that.
“Those ten guns are still on the street,” Jacqueline said. “Every killing, every shooting, It’s too wonder, was that one of his guns."
Jacqueline said that for not only her but other parents grieving, seeing more and more reports of violence, just opens up past wounds. It makes it difficult to heal.
To honor her son, she’s created the C-Ray Foundation and has a few initiatives in the works to help out the community.
She wants to create a version of a buy-back program, offering options to relieve some of the non-violent victimless crimes.
She also plans to provide support to parents, mothers and families who are grieving and waiting for answers at a crime scene.
While at her son’s crime scene, she was there for about eight hours waiting for hours and said it was tough.
“It’s one of those things that I wish I could’ve done differently because if I would’ve woke him up and had one of my dumb demands like can you come and put the lightbulb in, he would not have been there at the time,” she said.
She feels it’s time for parents or guardians to get involved and work with city leaders and law enforcement.
“If you know something, say something, if you see something report it, flip your child’s room if your child wasn’t home last night and there was a murder in the area check your child, these things are not going unseen,” Jacqueline said.
She fears the violence is going to get worse and more families are going to be grieving, from either side of the act.
“Until we get the guns out of these babies' hands and until the community speaks up and until parents, families, take ownership of their children, the violence is going to continue,” Jacqueline said.