Healing garden for victims of gun violence unveiled

Families affected by gun violence gather at new healing space

A new addition at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park aims to give the families of those affected by gun violence a place to heal.

SEATTLE - On Friday, dozens of people showed up at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park to see a new space dedicated to those affected by local gun violence.

Mayor Bruce Harrell, along with leaders in Seattle’s Black community and families of gun violence victims, banded together to commemorate a new healing garden.

The enhanced park space will include community gathering spaces, educational youth programming and more.

The event follows Thursday’s fatal shooting near Garfield High School that claimed the life of 17-year-old Amarr Murphy-Paine.

During Friday’s event, Mayor Harrell invited members of the community to engage with one another and reflect on the tragic impacts of gun violence.

"We have to be resilient," he said. "Love is the answer."

Harrell also mentioned the importance of investing in community groups and agencies that are doing the work in the communities seeing the most gun violence.

According to a spokesperson for Seattle’s Parks and Recreation, the new community garden at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park is a partnership between Seattle Parks and Recc, Clean Greens Farm & Market, the Black Agriculture Leadership Council, and the Seattle King County NAACP.

"This is a good place," said Carol Huges. "We need more spaces like this. We are losing too many people to guns. It’s especially tragic when it’s a young life."

The garden seeks to uplift and commemorate the lives lost to gun violence and its impact on families and communities in Seattle.