NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — On June 29, 2023, Ali K. Muhammad, 33, was shot and killed outside his home in Norfolk.
“Today marks the year anniversary of my son’s death, and it’s been hard, but God’s been listening,” said Cynthia Muhammad, Ali’s mother.
Bilal Muhammad, Ali’s father, is the founder of Stop The Violence Team organization. It’s an anti-gun violence group that was created 37 years ago.
“The last words was, ‘Please move that gun out of my face,'” Bilal said. “Those were to his last words, and I will never forget that.”
Bilal was on the phone with Ali, and heard him get shot.
“One gunshot hit him in the chest, and our son lay right there, right beside his vehicle,” Bilal said.
Bilal said Ali was leaving his home at night and was headed to work. He believes his son’s murder was planned.
“Sometimes I feel bad because if there was enough time, let me talk to that person, you know, it wasn’t enough time,” Bilal said. “I would have said, ‘Why would you want to harm another human being? Whatever, whatever anger that you have in you toward my son, is it worth it? Is it worth it? Is it worth taking another innocent person’s life?'”
Ali left behind his mother and father, five siblings and three daughters.
“Remarkable father. And he, he was so much in their life, constantly, daily,” Bilal said. “He gave his all to them is so much love.”
Ali’s death was one day after the Bilal’s brother, Ruben Hargraves, was shot and killed in Portsmouth 41 years prior.
“Our brother was 32,” Bilal said.
The trauma of both incidents leaves the family wanting the community to stop the violence.
“We don’t — we don’t let our intelligence — intellect — think for us now,” Bilal said. “We let our emotional makeup override our thoughts and our thinking. And we don’t consider that this human being is just like me. ‘If I shoot him, it’s like shooting myself.'”
Bilal’s family celebrated Ali’s life with a cookout.
“The spirit is real high in terms of — we know that it’s been a year, but let us come together on a collective effort to embrace and to just love one another more and to think about our son more, the good times, the good days,” he said.
Bilal said his son played a pivotal role in fighting against gun violence, and the family will continue that mission.
“So his work, his effort that he always had put in with the committee, have to go on through daughters — through us. And his work can never stop,” Bilal said.
Jalen Garces was charged with 2nd degree murder for Ali’s death. His jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2024.
