LUMBERTON -- For Gladys Scott, thoughts of her grandson Fred Stuart rarely leave her mind these days.
"I go to bed thinking about him, I wake up in the morning thinking about him, at work I think about him," she said, adding that the pain from his death often keeps her awake at night.
Stuart was shot and killed last month at Turner Terrace public housing project in Lumberton. His death was one of three at the complex in the span of about a month.
And after experiencing these tragedies, some residents say they're tired of losing sleep over all the violence.
Tyshiba Huddleston lives in Turner Terrace with her children, and the threat of crime makes her fear for their safety. She's been an active proponent of creating a safer neighborhood, and the recent events have inspired her to pursue a career in law enforcement. She's currently enrolled in the police academy, but before she graduates, she says she's fighting crime with encouraging words.
"Just coming together, and talking to each other, giving each other tips on being safe," she said.
She and others in the community, in addition to city leaders, have been involved in a recent march and a back-to-school event to promote safety. Both leaders and residents say they know that in order to achieve success, they'll have to work together.
Gladys Scott hopes this unity of purpose will prevent others from experiencing the pain that she now lives with on a daily basis. She says only her faith has helped her get through it.
"You can't lean on man," she said. "You've got to lean on God."
For now, residents will try to lean on each other, and pray that their strategy will be enough to save lives.
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