MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two children were shot to death, and another was shot and injured this weekend.
15-year-old Cateria Stokes was shot and killed while sleeping in her bed, and 7-year-old Kristen Williams died after being shot in her front yard.
A 17-year-old was shot and injured in Tom Lee Park.
Police Director Toney Armstrong said enough is enough, and he even went as far as to call for mandatory life sentences for those who commit gun crimes were children are killed.
Rep. Antonio Parkinson said he and Armstrong are on the same page when it comes to wanting harsher punishments for people who commit violent crimes.
“Those that are supplying guns to juveniles, we need to lock them up. Those that are killing these kids, we need to lock them up,” he said.
Armstrong said the problem is the criminals keep getting out and serving only a fraction of their original sentences.
“If we’re dealing with the same people over and over again,” he told WREG. “we need additional resources. We need additional help.”
Parkinson’s solution to that was a bill he introduced to hold those who provide guns to minors accountable.
“It would’ve basically married to that adult supplier to the crime that juvenile committed,” Parkinson explained.
The bill failed by one vote.
Senator Brian Kelsey was one of those who shut it down.
He said he supports the idea of the bill, but says it was unconstitutional because it holds a person accountable for someone else’s crime.
He said it needed revision to be added to the aiding and abetting law.
Parkinson said he would continue to push for the bill and continue to push for change.
“We’ll be running this legislation again until it’s passed because it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Kelsey, who is a part of the governor’s task force on sentencing, said they will be meeting with the governor in June to talk about harsher punishments and enforcing the original sentences criminals are given.