NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — In October 2016, Danita Smith’s life was forever changed.
Her son was gunned down in Park Place near West 29th Street in Norfolk.
“It’s just been rough,” said Smith.
Just this week, the trial was held for her son’s killer.
“I was glad that it was going to be over because it was postponed and postponed and it was hard being in there just to hear what was done to him,” she said.
She says justice was served but a conviction still can’t bring Donta Lamb back.
“It was like this part is over,” Smith said.
Fighting through the pain of losing a child, she says she wants to reach out to the same community he was killed in, and be there and reach out to those who may be struggling.
She says she wants to be a person young people can talk to or come to for advice.
“Even the churches, to come from behind the walls and let’s get back into the community,” she said.
It’s her mission now to try and curb crime.
“Especially our young black men, I can say that they’re killing each other, it’s real and it’s not a joke.”
She says she’ll be out near West 29th Street near the library around 6:30 on Monday night.
She says she welcomes people to come out and chat with her, share their stories, and talk about ways to stop crime.
