An event honoring those women took place at Chicago's Saint Sabina Church on Sunday. A memorial wall showcased pictures of slain sons and daughters as parents shared stories of their children.
"We've been doing this for about the last four years. It's a horrible pain, but we come out here to support one another," said Pam Bosley.
It's not exactly the Mother's Day Donna Hall wanted, but it's the one she must endure after her son Marshall became a victim of gun violence in January.
"Every Mother's Day he would give me one rose and a card. I won't get anymore from him and it hurts so bad," said Hall.
Other moms at the event felt similarly.
"It's like a living nightmare, something you never get over," said Coree Parks, who lost her son last summer.
"I never thought I would bury my daughter. It hurts me and it will hurt me for the rest of my life," said Diana Aguilar, who lost her 6-year-old daughter Aleah.
The women say they are bonded together by their sorrow. Some fathers who suffered losses also attended the event.
"The pain I feel is indescribable," said Julian Miles.
A remembrance statue was unveiled at the events, and balloons were released in honor of the victims. The mothers also planted two national peace rose bushes, which were sent by Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter.
"Bernice King sent those, and they stand with them," said Father Michael Pfleger.
It was a small comfort to those who are calling for an end to the violence- and attempting to stop the code of silence that protects their children's murderers.
"People are still getting shot. There are still families mourning," said Dawn Valenti, United for a Cause.
Those participating in the event were not alone in their efforts to raise awareness about gun violence. Mothers and supporters held similar events in almost a dozen cities across the nation on Mother's Day.
