CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gun violence continues to impact families across Charlotte. Losing a loved one to homicide can leave a pain that can be hard to process.
That's where CMPD's Homicide Support Group comes in. The group was formed to support families dealing with unimaginable grief.
“The grief can be really ugly, and we can look like what we’ve been through," Sylvia Smith said.
Sylvia Smith and her family have been through the toughest of heartbreak. Her son Sam Stitt was shot and killed in August of 2019.
“Sam was funny. Sam was a jokester with his siblings growing up ... as he got older he was very ambitious," Smith said.
After Sam's bright future was cut short, Smith said CMPD's Victim Support Services team was always there. They introduced her to CMPD's Homicide Support Group.
Stitt's mother said they continue to heal but the program at CMPD has made things easier.
“I’m just so grateful," Smith said.
RELATED: 'It’s all about building trust' | CMPD seeking solutions to crime through community policing
Since 2009, the support group has provided comfort after the police department saw the despair families of homicide victims were dealing with. The group does everything from helping families receive victim compensation to getting connected to counselors to providing much-needed resources for grieving families.
“We help families moving forward," Migdalia Cortés, a Victim Support Specialist at CMPD, said. “There’s a lot of benefits to not feeling alone.”
“I’ve been with this family since the scene," Shari Walton. a Victim Support Specialist at CMPD, said. "They feel comfortable with us. They can ask their questions of us."
It's a space for people to say whatever they're feeling without being judged.
“I certainly believe that it helps to be around people who are like-minded, because you express yourself without having to explain yourself because they just get it," Smith said.
Smith has now turned her pain into purpose by starting a foundation in honor of her son. The Sam Stitt Foundation is working to end violence in the community. She also has her support group, hoping to help others find peace.
“Knowing that, whatever my story has been, [it] probably can help somebody else come through it," Smith said.
As we've seen a rise in kids and teens becoming suspects and victims of gun violence, Smith is hopeful for change.
"Start with these children when they’re young, start with them young. Kids need to know they are valuable, important, heard," Smith said.
At the time of the shooting, Sam left behind an 18-month-old son. He's now six years old and Smith says she's grateful to have a piece of her son still here today.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.