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Victims of Violence Speak Out At Rally

By: Brendaliss Gonzalez
Updated: October 13, 2012
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These are the faces of the lost, but not forgotten.

Hundreds of signatures are imprinted on these walls to commemorate the countless victims who've died from a violent crime, right here in Abilene.

Their family and friends are here to ensure it doesn't happen to anyone else.

"When you hear the stories of the victims you start to have a little bit of more understanding," said Sari David. 

Some like David have been a part of the stop the violence rally since it first began four years ago.

"I listened to the stories and I cried for the suffering that the victims had," she said.

She began as a volunteer- but never imagined shed have her own story to tell.

"It still never crossed my mind that it would touch my life," said David.

A year ago her son Austin David was shot and killed after a traffic dispute right in broad daylight.

"It's not something that you can just put in the back of your mind and it will go away," said Stephanie Molina, David's former girlfriend who was with him at the time of his death.

Abilene police say the number of domestic violent cases reported has continued to increase over the past year. 

Every year a new wall is added for new victims to be added onto as their loved ones post a special message and continue to fight so that their death wasn't in vain.

Gina McClendon considers herself one of the lucky ones.

"I was with a guy that poured gasoline on me and I got forty percent of my upper body burned and the odds were against me I wasn't supposed to pull through," she said.

Today shes no longer ashamed of her scars.

"Over time I've learned to forgive ive had to let that go," said McClendon.

This isn't just a rally- it's a endless  tale of survival, death and forgiveness.

The rally is run by members of mission Abilene who partnered with volunteers from the Regional Crime Victim Crisis Center.

The event was originally held at Nelson Park, but grew so much that they've Now moved it to the Taylor County Coliseum

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