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Bailey Elizabeth Rogers
Mary Hennings sits in her daughter's living room looking at two of many collages she has made in memory of her
two sons, Alvin and Michael Hennings. Both of them were killed by gun violence, 25 years apart. Alvin died in 1989
at age 19, and Michael in 2014 at age 35. Mary is also a survivor of gun violence, having been shot just months before Michael was killed. Despite all she has endured, Mary continues to put one foot in front of the other and tell
her and her sons’ stories to those who will listen.
Mary Hennings holds a mixed media art piece that she created depicting the scene of her son Michael Hennings’ murder. The piece came together years after the shooting, when Michael's daughter asked Mary to draw a picture of
the house he was killed in front of, and then the car he was in. The piece paints a vivid image of the scene, with especially impactful details. You see the killer dressed like the devil in red, his car’s license reads “evil”, and the hail
that was falling that night is depicted using plastic beads.
Mary Hennings shows off a sign that she has taken to multiple anti gun violence events and marches. She is
passionate about the cause, for obvious reasons, and attends these events even though she can't walk well due to her own gunshot injury. She has friends who push her in a wheelchair while she holds up her sign and chants. She is so committed to spreading this message, that she carries a wallet embellished with a gun violence prevention sticker.
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