Pain fuels father’s quest to end gun violence

Marquis Scott would have turned 25 on July 25. His father, Mayor Ken Welch and dozens of community supporters honored the fifth anniversary of his premature death Tuesday evening.

Maress Scott established the annual Community Gun Violence Awareness Walk in 2020, a year after his son was murdered while riding a bicycle around his grandmother’s house in South St. Petersburg. The event concluded at the spot where Marquis, then 20, took his last breaths.

Rather than succumbing to despair, Scott found his calling by helping prevent other families from experiencing the “devastating” pain associated with losing a child to violence. He credits his faith for leading him to act “from a place of love” rather than unforgiveness and revenge, which “never brings about the will of God in anybody’s life.”

“We will all be walking not in fear, not in sadness, but to show the resilience of our city of St. Petersburg,” Scott said. “And our dedication to end gun violence.”

Lisa Wheeler Bowman (right), St. Petersburg’s new community impact and safety liaison, participates in the annual walk. Her son, Cabretti, was murdered in 2008.

The walk also honored Yvonne Abernathy, murdered by an abusive ex-boyfriend in June. Scott called Abernathy his son’s first love.

Scott said Abernathy and her family supported him in the years after his son’s death. “So, we are all leaning on each other right now as they’re going through a very traumatic experience.”

“We get to cover them and walk them through,” Scott added. “For us, it was new. We had to learn as we went. We take this opportunity to honor her and her family very seriously because we feel she is a part of our family.”

The Scott and Abernathy families are not alone. The city has recorded 14 homicides through the first eight months of 2024. That surpasses the 2023 total (13).

St. Petersburg is also on pace to see more homicides than in 2022 (16) and 2020 (15). In 2021, the city recorded 33 murders as it emerged from the pandemic.

Scott doesn’t blame elected officials. He said mitigating the rash of youth gun violence requires an “all-hands-on-deck” approach that extends throughout neighborhoods.

“I think we have to ask ourselves as a community, are we doing enough?” Scott said. “How involved are we? We need every different idea, and it never comes for one particular person or entity.”

Scott stressed that he appreciates the continued support of Mayor Welch and his wife, Donna. “They never did it in front of people – it’s always been behind the scenes.”

While it wasn’t on the city’s calendar, Welch participated in the walk. His administration also dedicated $1 million in the upcoming budget to help wayward youth and their families “so they don’t continue going down that road.”

Welch noted the success of the Mayor’s Future Ready Academy, an initiative that allows city employees to mentor youth while on the clock once monthly and a $500,000 increase to childhood literacy programs. Like Scott, he said churches, neighborhoods and families must also address the problem.

“There are too many guns on the street; kids know how to get to them too easily, and we’re seeing the outcomes,” Welch added. “But I want you to know the City of St. Pete stands with you through this journey.”

Mayor Ken Welch (second row, right) participated in the march. Maress Scott credited the mayor and his wife for their behind-the-scenes support.

In addition to the annual walks, Scott launched a nonprofit dedicated to ending gun violence in the aftermath of his son’s murder. The mission of Quis for Life is to foster personal accountability for community safety.

Scott encourages young people to sign the “St. Pete Youth Pledge.” It includes a promise not to murder or use weapons and to walk away from conflicts at least once monthly through year’s end. Over 1,300 people have completed the nonprofit’s “Five Keys to End Gun Violence Among Youth” training.

Scott will lead an engaging presentation on the problem and potential solutions tonight at the Center for Health Equity. He will discuss the effects of alcohol, drugs and the “no snitching” culture on gun violence and the benefits of embracing a nonviolent lifestyle and prioritizing mental health.

“I believe God had a plan for my son and for what I’m doing in the community,” Scott said. “And sometimes, unfortunately, we find our purpose after something traumatic has happened.”

Shared lived experiences often foster trust and bonds. Scott managed to overcome a troubled childhood and graduate college.

He wants local youth to know that the wrong path leads to two life-altering places – prison or death. And both affect their “mother’s dreams,” “their father’s hopes,” and the victim’s families in perpetuity.

“On the other hand, I’ll tell them that whatever they are going through, they can survive it,” Scott said. “They have the choice. The power in their hands to decide where they want to go.”

To register for Scott’s free in-person and virtual event, “Five Keys to End Gun Violence Among Young People,” visit the website here.