LAWRENCE, Ind. — When a fatal shooting happens, news reports break down what is known and what police reported about the incident. But a new documentary is asking what happens to the families of those killed in shootings.
“There are lots of different aspects to this, a lot of nuances that we don’t think about in the 30 seconds when we see them on the news, but these are families who have to go from the funeral to piece their lives together afterwards,” said Lisa Butler. “Sometimes, it’s just really difficult, especially if you don’t have a lot of resources available to you.”
Butler is the co-producer of the documentary “What’s Left Behind,” which aims to raise awareness and inspire action related to gun violence. The film focuses on families experiencing gun violence in Chicago. Many of those families feel forgotten with few resources to help them after their tragedy leaves the headlines.
Butler said families that lose loved ones to gun violence experience the same emotions, no matter what part of the U.S. they happen to live in.
“These situations are devastating for families, and they’re not the same after these things happen, so my question was ‘How does this impact families financially, right?’ Because a lot of the moms, and we’ll talk about it in the documentary, they weren’t able to work anymore or take care of the other siblings, so it’s really very devastating in a way.”
The film was shown inside a Lawrence theater Saturday and featured an in-person panel discussion with Hoosiers who have been affected by gun violence.
Panelist Antonia Bailey knows the effects of gun violence all too well. In 2019, her 16-year-old son, Nicholas, and her 15-year-old daughter, Ashlynn Nelson, were killed in a shooting at their northeast Indianapolis apartment.
“Our situation brought a lot of people, and I was more of an introvert so it was a lot,” Bailey said. “It was very overwhelming to me, but the pain that I’m channeling is more soldier, so we could save our babies.”
Bailey now uses her voice and compassion to help others who are going through a gun violence-related loss like she did. Bailey is hoping the documentary will highlight how unnecessary gun violence is and how important it is to support those affected by it.
“I hope that it will help bring about change and see the hurt and the hearts of the mothers that have lost, as well as the families and the siblings, and how much damage that the senseless acts of gun violence are doing,” Bailey said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
