Grandmother of slain toddler to build 'City Wall of Love' to remember lives lost to gun violence
BATON ROUGE - In a city where gun violence continues to terrorize certain neighborhoods, some feel their loved ones who have been murdered have been forgotten.
Cathy Toliver says the deaths leave a void that can never be filled. She knows the feeling well. Last year, her 3-year-old grandson Devin Page Jr. was shot and killed by a stray bullet while he slept in bed.
"I will never forget when I got that phone call on the night of April 13th where I felt the wind leave my body, when I found out my 3-year-old grandson was murdered," Toliver told WBRZ.
Unfortunately, Devin isn't the only one, and Toliver wants everyone in the city to remember those whose lives were tragically cut short.
Toliver is working with the city-parish to build several memorials called "City Wall of Love." They will be about four feet tall and placed throughout the city.
The goal is to display pictures of those killed by guns, so everyone driving by can see their faces.
Toliver says this will help those grieving heal.
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"You will be able to see your children, you will be able to see your mom or dad, or whoever was slain by gun violence," Toliver said.
Toliver also hopes the killers will remember the pain they have caused when they see the person's picture on the wall. She hopes it may motivate them to turn themselves in.
"Conviction will come on their heart," Toliver said. "It will always be a reminder that you killed this person and you are the reason this person is on the wall."
Toliver says the city-parish will help pay for these walls. She wants the first one to go up in an empty lot on Fairfields Avenue, less than a mile from where Devin Page was killed.
"This is where we are going to start the healing process. My grandbaby was murdered right down that street, and the healing is going to start right down that street," Toliver said.
Toliver hopes to have the first wall up by Christmas. If you want to help pay for the wall, call the news desk 225-336-2344.