DETROIT – A Detroit mother spoke out about gun violence solutions after she lost two sons to shootings since 2019.
But the Detroit mom says more needs to be done on the back end to deter potential shooters.
One of her son’s convicted killers will be sentenced Wednesday (May 24).
He made a plea deal, which the mom says is part of the gun violence problem.
“My son was murdered, Tymarian Tiller, on December 13, 2019, on Lafayette and Chene,” said the mother. “He was leaving the party store when a young man who was harassing him for the longest chased him out the party store and took his life.”
Local 4 had interviewed the mother three times over the past three years, with the first time coming just before Christmas of 2019 when her son Tiller was gunned down because he simply declined to buy marijuana from a man outside of a liquor store.
When we met with his mother, it was Tiller’s mother, as she had lost two sons to gun violence.
She’s afraid of being targeted for speaking out and wants to be heard but not seen.
“It is rough,” said the mother. “I have nightmares. I am dealing with pain. It is really tough for me.”
Tiller’s killer will be sentenced Wednesday after making a plea deal which, to the mom, she says the answer to the problem of gun violence is no plea deals but harsh sentences.
“They need the max,” the mother said. “My thing is you took a life, and they should not see their life as they are behind bars ever again.”
Delmahn Alford will be sentenced Wednesday for murder along with five other felony assault and felony weapons convictions.
Alford could get between 12 to 30 years, but the mother says only a life sentence could send the proper message that needs to be heard.