NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — This Christmas will be like no other for a Norfolk man who has worked tirelessly to take back his community. Bilal Muhammad will spend the holidays without his son Ali.
Earlier this year the 33-year-old year was shot and killed while he was on the phone with his father. The family is still processing the call that turned deadly as they continue to call for an end to gun violence.
“I’m on the phone with him during the whole process,” Bilal said. “‘Will you please move that gun out of my face?’ Amount of seconds, then ‘POW!'”
In the weeks that followed the death of his son, Bilal wanted the world to see, up close, how the trauma of gun violence has the potential to damage entire families and entire communities.
Bilal then faded from the public eye. The man who has been on the front lines since the 70s to take back the community was now on the sidelines.
Bilal said it was tough going into the holiday season this year. However, him and his wife Cynthia Fay care for Ali’s daughters three days a week, and they’ve become a joy in their lives.
“They are so energetic,” Bilal said. “The two oldest ones are cheerleaders, and they are doing a fantastic job in school. They are my therapy and they are the grandmother’s therapy. They are so strong and they have given us strength today.”
The girls — 9-year-old Aaliya, 7-year-old Amani and 3-year-old Amiya — have starting taking to TikTok and thriving on the social media platform, making their grandparents happy.
“They love it,” Bilal said. “And they are so energetic, so creative, so creative.”
Bilal is grateful for his granddaughters despite the loss of his son, and has found purpose in their lives.
“We strongly believe that our son is in heaven and we made a strong commitment that we will always be by his daughters — our granddaughters — and make sure that they will have the basic necessities that they need to grow up as beautiful little girls,” Bilal said.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
