Katona King had a deep love for the vulnerable, as attested to by her church work on behalf of the homeless and underprivileged. That concern started at home with her younger sister, who in 1998 suffered a traumatic brain injury. Nancy Lawrence says she misses her sister terribly. And the recent attacks on individuals, particularly those riding the CTA, are gut-wrenching.
There has been no closure for Lawrence since her sister was taken in the aftermath of a robbery on the CTA's Fullerton "L" Station in March. The recent high profile attacks reverse any mental progress she can make.
"It makes me sick to my stomach. I would think by this time that there would have been some solution," Lawrence told ABC7's Ravi Baichwal.
Katona King's demise at the hands of a heartless robber -- who had pilfered an iPhone from an "L" passenger, then sent the 68-year-old tumbling to her death -- makes Lawrence think Chicago has to take a stand now beyond just condemning the individual crimes.
"I believe every single station platform needs to have security cameras installed. It's the safety of the people in the city that's most important. To me, one person killed is more than enough," said Lawrence.
The former rape crisis counselor who also organized pet visits for seniors thinks there is something deeply wrong when some young people don't care about hurting someone to get their hands on someone else's electronic device.
"How would you feel if that happened to someone in your family?" she said.
Lawrence says more than an angry response, what she wants to see is better mentoring programs for the young, particularly in modest neighborhoods.
