‘Put the Guns Down’ | Sojourners

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The picture shows a sculpture of a kneeling person over a body, with photos in the back of people who died of gun violence.

In March, "Thou Shalt Not Kill," a life-sized sculpture donated by Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz, was installed outside of St. Sabrina Catholic Church in Chicago in partnership with Purpose Over Pain. / Anthony Vasquez / Chicago Sun-Times

‘Put the Guns Down’

My son was shot and killed in 2017. Five years later, the same thing happened to my husband.
July 2024
By Sharon Purnell

I ONLY HAD one child. His name was Damien Purnell. He was 31 years old. In 2017, January 13, I got the worst call of my life. I was at work, and I found out my son got shot five times at my house. I hibernated for five years. And when I say hibernated, I really did. I only went to work and that was it. I was hurting so much inside. It was a pain that was unbearable. My husband was my support system. We cried with each other. I was never mad at God. I finally started getting up and getting out.

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The image shows the cover of the July 2024 issue of Sojourners magazine, which shows a dove pulling on a string which is pulling up a pillar from the ground. There is a boot trying to crush the pillar back into the ground.
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Sharon Purnell

Sharon Purnell is the project coordinator for Purpose Over Pain, a crisis support group for parents who have lost children to gun violence. 

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