BALTIMORE — In the last six months, there have been 68 homicides in Baltimore City.
According to the Baltimore City Police Department, homicides are down 42% and shootings are down 29%.
Despite the decrease in numbers, many people are still advocating to stop gun violence. Donna Bruce is one of those people.
Her organization, Donna Bruce Unlimited, held its second annual fashion show to help families who have experienced gun violence cope.
“It’s hard to put clothes on anymore. We don’t wanna do anything because it feels like we’re moving on with our life without our children; it’s a guilt," says Angela Royster, who lost her son to gun violence.
Royster says she is glad there is an event like this where people can be around others who have experienced the same loss.
“It’s very, very hard to get out and like celebrate, like I brought another mom with me, a couple of moms with me, and one her loss was just recently, so it was kind a hard to get her to come out at the last minute, but she was like, okay, I will come out," says Royster.
The event also had a panel where people shared their experiences.
Donte 'G Thiird' Campbell was one of the panelists; he says he has recently lost many family members to gun violence.
“We are all here for a common goal, and that’s to save people from going through the pain of gun violence," says Donte Campbell.
He says this fashion show has allowed many people to connect over a common goal and to uplift each other.
“The more that we are hands-on with these kids in the youth and the adults as well, they start to believe and be able to reach back, and now everybody is just unified and spreading love. You know that we can’t save everybody, but for the mass majority, we can start by showing love and giving back," says Campbell.
Unique Palmer, who lost her mother eight years ago, says it is still very painful for her to think about.
She says it has been easier knowing she is not going through the grief alone. She says relating to others can be a powerful tool.
“I don’t know where I would be today without those people in my corner and having these kind of spaces just to come and speak of our experiences and I loving and caring environment," says Unique Palmer.
The fashion show gives the models and the attendees confidence, showing them that the trauma they went through will not keep them down.
It's one of many workshops the organization holds throughout the year that help people heal invisible wounds.
Donna Bruce Unlimited also hosts another fashion show in November called Grief in Elegance to honor bereaved mothers.
