YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Youngstown native is doing all she can to fight against gun violence, by bringing resources to parents and teens.

Kristin Biggs lost her son Reshaud Biggs, Jr. in July of 2021 when he was shot outside of a South Avenue gas station. Now, she is working to help bring an end to the violence.

“All of these killings going on, a lot of times its mental health issues that’s going on at the home, outside of the home, in schools, bullying, and also they lack financial literacy, so they feel like they have to go kill someone to get some money, but not knowing that there’s actually help out in the community,” she said.

Biggs has been holding a Parent Enrichment Workshop series for the past few months in Youngstown. She held her final one Wednesday, just one day after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed on the city’s South Side.

“It’s just a cycle of heartbreak in this community… We have to do better in our community, we have to. It’s so sad. I’m saddened to hear about a 16-year-old, you know,” she said.

Biggs feels it’s up to the people in the community to work with each other to make things better.

“Just stay on these young scholars. Just stay on these parents. Just stay on everyone so they know we’re not giving up, we’re not just letting it off that easy with what these people are doing and these kids are doing. We have to just stay consistent with the positivity,” she said.

Although her workshop series has come to an end for the year, she says she plans to hold the series again.