Survivors, lawmakers and community leaders rally for justice and change at SC Statehouse

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WJBF) — An emotional day at the South Carolina State House. Survivors, lawmakers, and community leaders stood together — pushing for justice and healing.

“On the 13th of May 2022, at the hour of 11:35 PM that was taken away from me in a snap of a finger. Why? Because of a senseless act of gun violence,” Courtney Hunter recalled.

On Wednesday, Hunter stood on the Statehouse steps, telling her story at the 4th Annual Victims Matter Rally. Families and survivors held signs — saying names that should never be forgotten. She lost her 6-year-old son, Winston, just days before kindergarten graduation. “I was distraught, upset, hurt, angry—probably every emotion in my body. I was in disbelief. You see things on TV, but you never expect it to happen in the safety of your own home,” she added.

“Victims feel lost. So often they feel like they’re an island, that there’s nobody that can understand them,” Legal Director at SC South Carolina Victim Assistance Network Sarah Ford shared.

Ford says more people need to know help is out there. “There is a community of support, advocates, attorneys, organizations, resources that are here for them, to support them.”

We heard about lives lost where people should’ve been safe — inside, on the porch. Officials say laws need to change. “The last thing I want to see happen is one of these organizations close their doors that provide vital, vital services, vital support to the families and the victims who so desperately need them,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “Last year we asked for 15 million, we got 5 million. This year, we’ve asked for another 15 million.”

“I think that we’ve gotta be creative and look at doing business differently in South Carolina,” Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine added. “And we can do that through, looking at what we are, the current tools we have and how can we better support the front-end services so that, that we’re not investing more money in, in the backend services.”

Meanwhile, two men are serving life without parole for killing Winston. Others still await trial. Courtney is turning her pain into purpose — launching ‘Through the Eyes of Winston.’

“We go and bring awareness about gun violence, the safety of gun violence and how try to talk to the young people about making better choices,” she said. “His teacher gave me his assignment where his dream was that everyone would be nice. And I just feel it though. If a 6-year-old can think like that, then why can’t our adults.”