Rep. Lucy McBath writes emotional birthday letter to son who died by gun violence
Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath wrote an emotional birthday message to her son, who died by gun violence, on what would have been his 25th birthday.
McBath's 17-year old son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed in 2012 by a stranger at a Florida convenience store who said the teenager's music was too loud.
Davis, who was black, was unarmed. The gunman, who was white, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2014. The case brought more attention to Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which makes it easier to claim self-defense.
"I never got to kiss you goodbye. I never got to give you one final hug," McBath tweeted on Sunday. "We never celebrated your 18th or 21st birthday because you were stolen from me at just 17 years old."
"Today would have been your 25th - and I still miss you every single day," she continued. "If you were still here, I’d tell you how proud I am of the person you’ve become - how happy I am of the kind & caring man you’ve grown up to be. You’d have jokingly told me to knock it off. If you were here. If our laws had not failed you."
"We never got to celebrate the big milestones in your life b/c you were taken from us too early," she wrote. "Since then, I’ve worked to honor you."
After her son's death, McBath became a gun-control activist and was then inspired to run for office. She won her seat in Congress in 2018 and represents Georgia's 6th Congressional District.
McBath wrote to her son, "I’ve taken your legacy to Congress to fight for common sense gun safety."
"You live on through me. And I live on because of you," she said. "Today, you would have been 25 years old. Happy birthday, Jordan. I miss you. I love you so much."
