Whenever Jennie Mosby sees the cherry blossom tree in Patriot Park in Starkville, memories come flooding back.

She remembers the sadness, the kindness of the community, but most of all, her son, Laterrance McCarter. She remembers the last words they said to each other: “I love you. I’ll see you when you come home.” McCarter’s life ended on November 26, 2019, at the age of 23, when he became a victim of gun violence.

“Of course I think about the pain,” Mosby said. “But right behind that pain is joy, because there is something there. Trees live so long, but no matter what happened, that tree there lets me know that I’m still standing, my family, we’re still standing, even though we lost someone so precious.”

McCarter was the first person to be honored as part of 16th Judicial District Attorney Scott Colom’s memorial tree planting program.

A unique kind of pain

In January 2020, Colom’s office began contacting families of gun violence victims in the four 16th Circuit counties under its jurisdiction, including Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee, and offering them the opportunity to have a tree planted in honor of their loved ones. The program soon began offering rose bushes as well if families did not have the space or ability to care for a tree.

Since then, nearly 25 trees and bushes have been planted throughout the region as part of the program.

“The criminal justice system gives you legal closure and justice through prosecution, punishment and deterrence. But it doesn’t necessarily help with the emotional healing that is required when you lose a loved one to gun violence,” Colom said. “…This is a unique kind of pain, and I know that healing from this grief is going to take a long time, and it’s going to be a process of persevering and learning to live with the loss. I felt that a tree that takes a long time to grow was kind of a symbol of this kind of grief and something that can always be with the survivors.”

The victims’ families decide when and where the planting will take place. Colom said many will hold the planting on an important day in the life of the deceased, such as a birthday or the anniversary of their death.

The only thing that helps the families of the victims is the knowledge that someone recognizes their pain.

“When someone reaches out and genuinely cares about me, it means a lot to me,” Mosby said. “I could never find the right words to express how I feel… it means a lot to me to know that the District Attorney and many other people care about me and are with me on my journey. Even during this time, I have made friends and I don’t just consider them someone who just reached out to me, they are family.”

While the primary goal is to provide a symbol of hope to families, Colom said there is a secondary goal aimed at perpetrators of gun violence.

“I wanted to create a little bit of a deterrent by getting the word out that we need to plant these trees because they have caused loss and because they have caused pain and trauma to survivors,” Colom said. “(I hope it) would send a message to people who choose gun violence that they are causing real pain.”

He said the effectiveness of such a deterrent would be difficult to measure, but it would at least be worth a try.

“Don’t lose faith”

The program is fully funded by Colom’s office.

Colom is also trying to set up a program to provide financial support to children whose parents are victims of gun violence.

“The legal system puts a lot of energy, effort and resources into prosecuting the person, but there’s very little help for the survivors,” Colom said. “A young person loses their life. They have children. And suddenly the grandparents or aunts and uncles are raising a child. Other people have to step in, and that’s a financial and emotional burden on them. One of the things I want to do soon is provide financial help to children who have lost their parents to gun violence to support them not only emotionally but financially.”

In the meantime, Mosby offered some advice to families who are in a similar situation to hers. She encourages faith and unity not only among families, but throughout the community.

“Don’t lose faith, even though it’s hard,” Mosby said. “Just keep praying and speaking for the loved one that was taken from you. Be their voice. Talk about (gun violence), educate, get out there and talk to the community, talk to the kids and let them know, ‘Hey, there’s more to them than just getting a gun and shooting.’ If you have kids that don’t have anyone to show them the right path, then we as a community, regardless of race, color, whatever, should step in and help them through that and build some kind of community bond.”