Family, friends gather to remember Madisson Bright

JACKSON, Tenn. — Friends and family held a candlelight vigil Wednesday night in remembrance of a loved one.

Friends and family of Madisson Bright gathered at the Ridgecrest Cemetery not only to remember her, but also to bring awareness to a rising issue in America.

“We are trying to bring awareness to gun violence,” Jamie Forrest, Madisson’s mother, said.

These words come from a mother grieving for her daughter.

On December 8, Trenton police responded to a report of a shooting on the 800 block of South Lexington Street in Trenton.

Police say they found Madisson Bright in a home with a gunshot wound. She was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.

“Just a piece of my heart is gone and missing,” Forrest said.

Forrest says her daughter’s friends and family gathered around her grave to remember their loved one.

“But she was known as Maddie. She was the most kind, loving person, with the biggest heart,” Forrest said.

Candles were lit while listening to music sung by Bright; her mother sang along, connecting to every word her daughter said.

“My daughter doesn’t have life anymore. It’s just really hard,” Forrest said.

Trenton police say 23-year-old Deandrez Belew is in custody and has been charged with reckless homicide in connection with the shooting.

Belew is currently being held in the Gibson County Correctional Complex.