'Guns Down, Love Up': Family Reacts To Sentencing In Shooting Death Of Activist Tyrone Williams
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Twenty years in prison. That's the sentence handed down to a Minneapolis man in the shooting death of a community activist.
Tyrone Williams was shot to death outside his mother's home in north Minneapolis last April. Sid Brady Strickland-Green is the man convicted of pulling the trigger.
WCCO's Reg Chapman was in the courtroom for today's sentencing.
"We cry out for justice – not revenge, justice," Sidney Nevils said.
The emotional sentencing began with six family members of Tyrone Williams speaking about the impact his murder has had on them.
RELATED: Family Seeks Answers After Arrest In Activist's Fatal Shooting
"We have really lost someone who was special not just to our family, not just to the community in Minnesota, but to humanity," Raeisha Williams said.
Williams was a proud father, business owner, mentor to many and an activist.
"What he was doing right is he was in the process of changing our community. This was one of the great rising stars in the African American community cut short," Nevils said.
Family members say Williams has four children who are suffering without him, but they know they are not the only ones hurting.
"This is not a win, win situation for either family. I'm a mother and my son is in a box. Sid's mother will have to look at her son in a cage for many, many years," Rosemary Williams said.
Mother Rosemary Williams believes healing needs to take place so peace can prevail.
"We are going to change this narrative in our community out of all bad comes some good, and we're going to get our children to the point they are not thinking that it's cool to have a gun," Rosemary said.
A movement to stop senseless violence.
"So our whole message is put the guns down and love up," Kendra Pierson said.
This family wants closure but believes there were others involved who continue to walk free.
"Our family does wish that everyone involved was convicted and brought to justice, but we appreciate the system for what has been done so far," Pierson said.
County Attorney Mike Freeman says the man who pulled the trigger will do the time for Williams' murder, leaving the family to focus on healing and helping a community fight for peace and prosperity.
The Williams Family initiative called "guns down, love up" will kick off this May with the support of Minneapolis Police.
