SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — On the first weekend of October, several shootings disrupted neighborhoods throughout Sacramento, including Del Paso Heights where 9-year-old Makaylah Brent was killed while playing tag at Mama Marks Park.
At that same park on Sunday, Oct. 11, one week later, the community came together to honor Makaylah's memory with a motorcade and event that aims to 'Take Back Our Parks.'
"Today is a day to stop all gun violence, not just Makaylah's gun violence," Amber Leslie Brent, Makaylah Brent's grandmother, said. "We as a community, we need to stop."
Brent attended the 'Take Back Our Parks' event honoring her granddaughter Makaylah and other child victims who had lost their lives to gun violence. Hosted by the Benito Juarez Neighborhood Association, the event was meant to bring families together to reestablish a safe space for children at Mama Marks Park.
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"It’s time to take back the parks," said Ramona Landeros, the founder of the Benito Juarez Neighborhood Association and organizer of the event. "It's time to let them play safely. This has become a place where people come and do what they shouldn’t be doing."
Landeros has lived in Del Paso Heights for 40 years. She said when she canvassed the neighborhood ahead of the event, more than 90% of her neighbors said they would not take their children to Mama Marks Park.
"The reason being so much violence, gun violence, in our community," Landeros said.
Landeros hoped the event would encourage families to enjoy their park without fear and call attention to the lack of resources in a community that she said is underserved.
"I think we’re now standing strong, standing unified and saying we need some real changes on a policy level," said Landeros. "Where can we get more money to make these parks safer and what kind of events can we have to bring the neighborhood out."
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