Illustrating the toll of Philadelphia's gun violence crisis is Kahlief Myrick's mom carrying a cardboard cutout of late her son into his high school graduation. The search continues for the 16-year-old's killer. JoeHoldenCBS3 reports
PHILADELPHIA — This time of year families are celebrating a big milestone in the lives of their children, one of those being graduation. A local mother didn’t get that chance.
She showed up at graduation, holding a photo instead, as her son’s class paid tribute to him. She’s hoping CBS3 Mysteries can help generate leads to find a killer.Illustrating the toll of Philadelphia’s gun violence crisis is a mom carrying a cardboard cutout of her son into his high school graduation.
“Just know that he could have had a real bright future, he really could have,” Brittany Brunson said. Brunson holds close the memories of her son Kahlief Myrick. She invited CBS3 Mysteries as her guests to be there as South Philadelphia High School honored the late 16-year-old.“It’s beautiful. It was a beautiful feeling. I feel overwhelmed a little bit,” Brunson said. “But most of all, I feel so, so proud for him. To be able to stand in his place to accept it. For him to be acknowledged, I feel overwhelmed, but I absolutely feel very proud.
The stark, grim reality is that parents show up at special moments like high school graduations in place of their late children. They say it is a moment in our city’s history that should not be.