05/27/2026
For the first time ever, the Pierce County Council has proclaimed the month of June as Gun Violence Awareness month. Woot-woot!! When receiving the invitation to accept this proclamation Billy Ray's mom thought of two other mothers in the fight to keep our communities safe. Thank you Zhalena and Lonnisha for taking time out of your day to share your stories. WE ALL NEEDED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
💫FROM THE PROCLAMATION:
“Whereas, the Eastside Community Center in Tacoma stands as a testament to what a community can build when it chooses hope and collective action over despair-opened in 2018, the center emerged from years of inadequate facilities, and the profound losses suffered by Eastside Tacoma families to gun violence; and
Whereas, the center was inspired in part by the memory of Billy Ray Shirley, III, a 17-year-old whose death to gun violence galvanized the community to create a safe space where Eastside youth could grow, connect, and thrive free from fear —fulfiling Billy's vision rooted in the belief that young people deserve better; and
Whereas, the center is home to a memorial artwork, In Loving Memory, created by artist Dionne Bonner and dedicated to the young people of Tacoma's Eastside whose lives were taken by gun violence a permanent reminder of those lost and of the community's commitment never to forget them”
❤️HUGE THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO CHAMPIONED THIS EFFORT AND TO THOSE THAT SIGNED ON IN AGREEMENT. WE SEE YOU!❤️
RIP Billy 🕊️
