Grief is a peculiar guest. A guest who often finds solitude in the most intimate spaces of our being. Once grief has stayed its days and nights, it is exchanged for its lighter side of comfort.
For Travyana Wilkerson, she said she has found comfort from the tragic loss of her son in community activism, where Landon’s Legacy is bringing awareness to firearm safety.
Eight months after the passing of her 4-year-old son Landon due to injuries sustained from an unsecured firearm, Wilkerson courageously hosted “Landon’s Legacy” on Jan. 18, an event that focused on giving people information about how to properly secure firearms. Often, we do not consider the ramifications of our actions, but last Sunday night inside the community center of Luetta Moore Park, everyone felt a sense of self-reflection.
On May 29, 2025, according to police reports, Wilkerson and her son Landon were inside an apartment at The Hamptons Statesboro complex on Rucker Lane.
"We received a call that a child had been shot," Police Chief Mike Broadhead said at the time. Officers rendered aid to the child — Landon — and Bulloch EMS transported him to East Georgia Regional Medical Center, where he passed away.
After speaking with everyone inside the apartment, police determined Landon "was able to access an unsecured firearm and discharge it, fatally injuring himself."
From family and friends to other community stakeholders, like Mayor Jonathan McCollar and law enforcement agencies, Landon’s Legacy pulsated throughout the Luetta Moore center to send a message in Statesboro.
The four-hour event concluded with a more sobering experience. An experience that showcased community healing through tragedy. Despite the frigid temperatures Sunday evening, everyone filed outside for a candlelight vigil to remember Landon.
People stood close together to receive warmth from each other’s bodies, as the flame of candles was shared to illuminate the night’s sky.
When Travyana Wilkerson appeared in the crowd, an aura of light surrounded Landon’s mother. It was a subtle reminder that light exposes the darkness – the darkness of tragedy. A community prayer followed, accompanied by a moment of silence.
“Today, I feel, set the tone for gun safety,” Whitney Littles, sister of Travyana Wilkerson, said. “This could have all been prevented if only that gun had been locked up.
“The most important thing is that parents and kids of different ages were able to get information about the importance of not touching a gun or maybe telling an adult about a gun.”
Coco Roberts, who also attended Sunday’s event, said: “It was a heartfelt event that makes you think about your own kids and wanting to make sure that they are safe.”
Travyana Wilkerson is a mother who has shown strength amid a tragic, life-altering event. To lose a child is a hurt that every parent fears. A loss that stains the conscience forever. “Today was exciting,” Wilkerson said. “I was overwhelmed, and the turnout was amazing. I feel that this will make people think about things differently.”
Brantley Simmons is a middle school teacher for Bulloch County Schools and a freelance contributor to the Statesboro Herald.