NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Four years ago, four people lost their lives when a gunman opened fire at a Waffle House in Antioch.
Dozens gathered at Public Square in downtown Nashville for a vigil in honor of DeEbony Groves, Akilah Dasilva, Joe Perez and Taurean Sanderlin.
The shooting is a tragedy that has caused many wounds that still have not healed.
"I miss him today just as much as it did on April 22, 2018. It hurts just as much today as it did on April 22, 2018 when the doctors said he didn't make it," said Shaundelle Brooks, the mother of Akilah Dasilva.
Family members also used the vigil as an opportunity to ask lawmakers to do more to prevent gun violence.
"Tennessee just keeps passing laws that increase access to guns without any additional measure for safety or responsibility. Why do we invest so much in the well-being of guns and not the well-being of people. We can do better, " said the brother of Akilah Dasilva, Aldane Brooks.
This anniversary was different though. On February 4, 2022, a jury found Travis Reinking guilty on all charges. He'll spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The Akilah Dasilva Foundation organized the vigil.
"His legacy will continue to live on through us. I did not choose this road but I choose to do my best at fighting for change," Brooks said.
Dasilva's mother says she's committed to working so that no other family knows the pain she does.
