STOP THE VIOLENCE

Prosecutors are showing how families are destroyed, but there are things to keep the victim's memories alive.

Mississippi has one of the highest murder rates in the country.

Now, prosecutors are showing how families are destroyed but there are things to keep the victim's memory alive.

Wcbi's stephen pimpo brings us one grieving mother's story and plea for peace.

"a piece of my heart has been broken and on this earth, it won't mend back together."

Five months after burrying her youngest son cj...ulanine williams continues to struggle with her son's death.

"it's like a nightmare that i'm still in.

I'm still thinking that he's going to walk through my door."

In may, 22-year-old cj williams jr. was shot and killed in west point after getting into a fight in a parking lot.

It is a nightmare shared by too many other families across the golden triangle.

It's one 16th circuit court district attorney scott colom is trying to end.

"that's something we as a community have to stop and prevent.

It's up to us."

This year, colom has started planting trees as memorials for victims of gun violence.

"a long lasting memory and to also stand as a deterant for other young people that make the decision to use gun violence."

Su: this japanese maple will grow up in the very same backyard that cj did.

"they say the tree is going to get big and blossom and that's how my son was.

He was big and would blossom."

Colom's movement is also blossoming.

"every time we do it, more and more people come to it and there's more and more attention paid to it and that's the goal is to bring attention to gun violence."

When friends, family and loved ones plant those trees, colom says it brings home the dire consequences of gun violence.

"i think it serves as a powerful reminder of how long it takes to heal.

Because trees grow slowly and the healing process is a long process."

But it only takes a moment to think twice about pulling a trigger.... "stop violence so we won't have to be at someone else's backyard or front yard doing the same thing.

The violence needs to stop."

Mississippi's murder rate is 15 per one hundred thousand people, according to our news partner wlbt.