St. Petersburg father who lost son to gun violence now works to help stop it

Gun violence is now the leading cause of death of teens and children.

As communities look for solutions, one family who lost their son to gun violence is leading the conversation to keep other parents from facing the same gut-wrenching pain.

"Everyone who has lost a kid is retraumatized every time something like this happenedsaid Maress Scott, whose son, Marquis Scott, was shot and killed while riding his bike in 2019 .

Every time a young person is shot or killed by gun violence, Maress Scott is reminded of his own pain.

On Labor Day , two 13-year-old boys were shot while riding their bikes in south St. Pete. Thankfully, they survived.

I saw the story. It was a bicycle out there and for a moment there I went all the way back to that day," said Scott.

From that day, the Scott family has turned their pain into purpose. Maress now hosts sessions to engage the youth and the community to stop gun violence. In their son's name, they are trying to save another child from being added to the list of gun violence victims.

"When we lost him, it was the most horrible experience. But we decided we're going to take him where we go. And what we found out was he's taken us to way more places than we could ever go," said Scott.

We have to start as the youngest possible. I talk with them about adopting a nonviolent lifestyle, letting them know the benefits of mental wellness. It is important to us. And arm them with some tools that allow them to walk away from situations that may lead to violence," said Scott.