13-year-old Milwaukee native Sandra Parks was shot and killed when a bullet pierced her bedroom wall earlier this week, leading to increased calls for gun reform from state officials.
Two years prior, Parks had written an award-winning essay highlighting the tragedy of gun violence in her community.
“I can’t get Sandra Parks out of my head this week. Her death is senseless and horrifying,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., tweeted. “At a young age, she was already fighting to end gun violence.”
I can’t get Sandra Parks out of my head this week. Her death is senseless and horrifying.
— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) November 24, 2018
At a young age, she was already fighting to end gun violence. The world needed Sandra, and gun violence took her from us.
It’s up to us to carry on her mission.https://t.co/3Ww8nXpOD2
Two individuals are in custody for involvement with the shooting and have told police they were firing at no one in particular.
“I don’t know what they were doing. I don’t know that the police know what they were doing,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said of the shooter, who fired several rounds outside Parks’ house. “All we know is that a 13-year-old died last night in her bedroom.”
One of the individuals, Isaac Barnes, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon, while both have received illegal weapons charges.
“The world needed Sandra, and gun violence took her from us,” Baldwin said. “It’s up to us to carry on her mission.”
In her essay, “Our Truth,” Parks emphasized the importance of compassion and purpose within the next generation as the key to overcoming needless death.
8th grade Keefe Avenue student Sandra Parks was killed by a stray bullet while in her own home last night. She was a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. writing contest winner. The topic of her winning essay:
— MTEA (@MTEAunion) November 20, 2018
Gun Violence.https://t.co/JddtpSf8wf pic.twitter.com/9093lTl9dV
“We must not allow the lies of violence, racism and prejudice to be our truth,” Parks wrote. "The truth begins with us. Instead of passing each other like ships in the night, we must fight until our truths stretch to the ends of the world.”
