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GAVE HIM ALL THE TOOLS THAT HE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THOSE PLACES THAT BECAME, UM, UM, INJURED OR BROKEN IN HIS LIFE THAT HE NEEDED TO ATTEND TO. AND THIS WAS THE ONE THING THAT I JUST COULD NOT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER. TOMORROW MARKS ONE YEAR SINCE BIRMINGHAM FIREFIGHTERS JORDAN MELTON AND JAMAL JONES WERE AMBUSHED AT A FIRE STATION IN NORWOOD, WHILE JONES WOULD SURVIVE, MELTON DIED FIVE DAYS LATER. IN THE YEARS SINCE THE TRAGEDY, MELTON’S MOTHER HAS LED THE CHARGE TO GET JUSTICE FOR HER SON. AND AS SHE TOLD ME, SHE REFUSES TO LET ANYONE FORGET THE IMPACT HE’S MADE ON HIS COMMUNITY. FOR ROCHELLE, GASTON MALONE, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MONTH OF JULY. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BEEN A YEAR THIS TIME. LAST YEAR, SHE LOST HER SON TO GUN VIOLENCE FIREFIGHTER JORDAN MELTON SHOT ON THE JOB AT STATION NINE IN NORWOOD. HE DIED FIVE DAYS LATER. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE POLICE THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, THE COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN VERY MINIMAL. UM, 0 TO 9. UNLESS I REACHED OUT TO THEM AND I KEPT RECEIVING THE SAME, UM, EMPTY PROMISES OF WE’RE GOING TO KEEP YOU INFORMED. WE’RE GOING TO CONTACT YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS. BUT SHE SAYS THAT HASN’T BEEN THE CASE, AND SHE’S TRYING TO BE UNDERSTANDING. I FELT THAT THE BIRMINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST OFFERING SOME TYPE OF, UM, COURTESY IN IN REGARD AND RESPECT IN REGARD TO, HEY, WE’RE STILL WORKING. HOW ARE YOU DOING? HOW ARE YOU COPING? I UNDERSTAND THE SHORTAGE IN IN YOU KNOW, UM, LABORERS AND EMPLOYEES THAT DOES NOT DISCOUNT THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE. ANOTHER FIREFIGHTER WAS SHOT THAT DAY, JAMAL JONES. HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL LAST AUGUST. AND HAS UNDERGONE MONTHS OF TREATMENT FOR HIS INJURIES. SHE SAYS THE TWO WERE VERY CLOSE. I COULDN’T IMAGINE BEING THAT PERSON WHO WAS CLOSE TO SOMEONE AND THEY AND THAT PERSON DIDN’T MAKE IT. AS FOR HER, ROCHELLE SAYS, EVERY DAY WITHOUT JORDAN IS A CHALLENGE. WONDERING WHO WOULD DO THIS AND WHY. THERE ARE A LOT OF RUMORS OUT THERE. THERE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STREET TALK AND YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE OR WHAT NOT TO BELIEVE. SHE DOES BELIEVE IN TURNING HER PAIN INTO PURPOSE. SHE STARTED THE JORDAN MELTON MEMORIAL CRUSADE, SPEAKING TO KIDS ABOUT AVOIDING GUN VIOLENCE, MANAGING CONFLICT AND REACHING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL SOMETHING HER SON WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DO. HE WAS 29 YEARS OLD AND HE HAD JUST GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY IN MAY. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SHOOTING, AND NOW HE WAS READY TO BE THAT BEACON OF LIGHT THAT WE ALL ARE DESIGNED TO BE. WE’RE NOT HERE FOR OURSELVES. WE’RE HERE FOR EACH OTHER. TOMORROW, BIRMINGHAM POLICE WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE FIRE STATION WHERE MELTON AND JONES WERE SHOT, AND A SPECIAL EVENT TO HONOR JORDAN AND OTHER CRIME VICTIMS WILL BE AT KELLY INGRAM PARK STARTING AT 6:00.