LITTLE ROCK, Ark — 57 photographs aligned the walls of a room inside of Little Rock's McMath Library on Sunday, with each of the 57 pictures showing a person that had been killed during an act of violence.
One of the many photos along the wall was that of 20-year old Devan Sprawling, who was shot in 2018 on the 2100 block of Fair Park Blvd.
Police were able to find and arrest the man responsible for Sprawling's death, and despite the time that has passed, it's still a day that his mother will never forget.
"That was the worst day of my life. I've been fighting for justice ever since. I'm still waiting on trial for Devan. I know it's been long because we had pandemic. I just feel our system needs to focus on the victims and their families," said Yolanda Harrison, Sprawling's mother.
She's found a sense of solace with the Central Arkansas Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, who honored the 57 lives lost during their annual event.
This event was a part of Crime Victims' Rights Week, which challenges the nation to confront and remove barriers that block justice for victims of crimes.
This year, the Crime Victims' Rights Week will be observed from April 24–30.
The theme for this year? Rights, access, equity, for all victims-- this theme emphasizes the importance of helping crime survivors find their justice through the following methods:
- Enforcing victims' rights.
- Expanding access to services.
- Ensuring equity and inclusion for all.
"Justice looks different for all of us, but survivors don't know what their justice is if no one tells them what rights are available," said Laura Abbot, a hit-and-run survivor.
She spoke at the event, mentioning that crime has been a part of her life as her grandparents were killed in a drunk driving crash when she was only 15 months old.
Through that experience, Abbot said that she understands the grieving process and is challenging the family members of victims to come together to promote change and work to bring justice to the victims.
"Your voice is powerful. The Victims' Rights Movement evolved out of the civil rights movement. It's a long, arduous journey, but if we give up, we don't have success," said Abbot.
The Central Arkansas Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children said part of making a change is getting law makers involved.
That was the case as Rep. Vivian Flowers spoke about encouraging new legislation that will support crime victim's families.
"I just sat here and heard a father talk about how two of his children's murders are unsolved. We have to make sure that we tie justice to this work around supporting families so that there can be justice and healing and accountability," said Flowers.
Little Rock police chief Keith Humphrey was also in attendance and encouraged victim's families to continue their fight for justice and to apply pressure on lawmakers.
"When my phone rings and I get an alert, my heart skips a beat because I know it's going to be something of violence," said Humphrey. "You have to understand in 34 years of law enforcement, I've seen many bodies, notified many victims, families, and it never gets easy."
Humphrey said that his mission is to amplify the voices of families that have lost loved ones and to help ensure that local lawmakers hear from them and local law enforcement on ways to change.
"I've been called up to the Capitol to talk about some of the most recent gun legislation. No one ever asks the police chief what he thinks or what laws need to be modified when it comes to gun laws and gun safety," said Humphrey.
The Central Arkansas Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children along with the Center for Healing Hearts & Spirits (CHHS) will be hosting these events for the week:
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
- Press conference and restoration ceremony located at 2416 South Chester, Little Rock, AR, 77206.
Wednesday, April 28, 2022 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
- CHHS' Virtual Train the Trainer Forum (via Zoom).
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
- Press Conference and a Restoration Ceremony located at 200 East 8th Avenue, Pine Bluff, AR, 71601.