KING COUNTY, Wash. — A year ago, on April 1, 2023, community activist Elijah Lewis was shot and killed in a random act of violence, highlighting increased gun violence in Seattle.
It's been a harrowing year since Elijah's death for his mother, Jenine Lewis.
"I received a call," Jenine said. "There were several calls, from friends and family, asking about him."
But the call that shattered her world was one from a police officer.
"I just asked her, 'Is he gone?' and she eventually, after a couple of minutes said, 'Yes.'"
Elijah, 23, was shot and killed while driving his 9-year-old nephew to a monster truck rally to celebrate the child's birthday. The nephew was also shot in the leg. The shooting happened in the early evening in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, after what police described as a 'traffic disagreement.' Elijah was driving. The alleged shooter, Patrick Cooney, was on a scooter.
"Don't think that I'm not angry, because I am angry," Jenine said. "Seething, angry. I do have those moments."
Jenine said her emotions about Cooney are complicated. While she wants justice for her son, as Cooney awaits trial, she said she has forgiven Cooney. Adding that she's had visions of Elijah telling her that "he is okay."
Elijah devoted his life to creating a safer community for young people. He was extremely well known in the community for his work fighting gun violence. Now that he is gone, his work of uplifting families has fallen on Jenine to continue.
"[Gun violence] definitely happened to my son, and then it affects the children, it affects our families, it affects our community," Jenine said.
Another woman who is fighting the same fight as Jenine, is Appollonia Washington. Washington is the co-owner of A4 Apple Daycare in Seattle's Central District neighborhood with her mother.
In October of 2023, while babies were inside the daycare, Washington's windows were shattered by a stray bullet from a nearby shooting. A man was shot and injured outside.
"I heard the clap, clap, clap," Washington said. "I'm like, 'Hold on you guys, stop real quick.'"
Washington said her instincts kicked in immediately.
"I saw flares, I immediate(ly)--'Army crawl! Bear crawl!' The teachers, all the children were already inside so they all got down," Washington described. She said the image of teachers and children bear crawling to hide behind a bathroom partition, is one she'll never forget.
"I haven't been able to really grieve," Washington admitted. "We were closed for two days but I have to be of service to the community, so I had to make sure my doors remained open for my families."
Washington said she and her mother take deep pride in providing a safe haven for the kids they are responsible for on a daily basis. When that safe haven was attacked, Washington said she knew she had to take on even more responsibilities in the area.
"So here I go, the little childcare provider, who is supposed to be focusing on giving good quality care, and being a resource to our community--being loud and vocal about public safety in this community," Washington said.
Since that October shooting, King County officially formed and opened its regional office of gun violence prevention. The office had been announced several months before, and the initiative of reducing gun violence predates the office by several years.
At the helm, is Eleuthera Lisch.
"In 2020, the King County executive declared gun violence a public health issue, and I think what's important to note in tandem is also had the courage to boldly name racism a public health issue," Lisch said.
According to King County's latest data, Black youth are four times more likely than white youth to be killed with a gun.
Lisch said the pandemic only exacerbated the systemic inequities that have historically set people of color behind. This includes economic inequities, lack of access and disparities in education.
"Gun violence disproportionately impacts young men of color, specifically Black and brown young men," Lisch said. "Economic insecurity that perhaps leads to an economy of desperation and with that, often trends upticks--in some form of violence or another."
No one is tackling the insurmountable task of eliminating gun violence alone. However, women in our community have shown, and continue to show, the work can head in the right direction.
"It's not just me, but it's community working together to try to figure it out," Washington said.