Gun violence survivors are working together to make sure people know about the compensation available to many of them.
It’s part of a national campaign that aims to ensure all crime victims have access to the financial assistance they need to recover.
A group of over a dozen crime victims and their families gathered Friday at the Beaver Street Enterprise Center to spread the word and share their stories.
On the night of Feb. 29th, 2004, Feletta Smith’s life forever changed.
“I was shot 13 times and left for dead,” said Smith.
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Thomas Bevel shot Smith several times back in 2004. He also killed his roommate, Garrick Stringfield, and Stringfield’s 13-year-old son, Phillip Sims.
Bevel is now on death row in Florida.
“It’s not easy,” said Smith. “Something that changes your life forever.”
And now, 21 years later, Smith is still here to share her story alongside other survivors.
“I am a victim of gun violence,” said Aswad Thomas, the National Director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. “I was shot in 2009 just after becoming the first male in my family to graduate college.”
Aswad said that after he was shot, he went back into the same community with no services or support.
“That’s often the common experience of so many crime victims across the country,” said Aswad.
He said 96% of crime victims across the country aren’t aware of their state’s victim compensation program. In Florida, it pays up to $50,000 to help victims.
Aswad came to Jacksonville to teach people about that.
“We’ve been able to hear stories about those who have been denied access to the state’s victim compensation program because their loved one or the state deemed their loved one contributed to their own victimization,” said Aswad.
He said it’s important to have conversations on how they can improve the access to services and support across the city.
They are looking to work with lawmakers this year to help remove what they said are barriers to the state’s victim compensation program.
Click here for details on that program and how much you can get as the victim of a crime.
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