HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Memorial Day is more than just a day off from work. It's a solemn reminder of the price of freedom. For one Gold Star mother, it's a deeply personal day of remembrance.
Evelyn Brady lost her son, Mohammed, in a tragic act of violence. He was at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola when a gunman opened fire in December 2019.
WATCH Gold Star mother honors son's sacrifice on Memorial Day
Three sailors died that day.
"Mohammed ran into a building where there was an active shooter, and he tried to neutralize a situation. Unfortunately, he was shot and killed that day," Evelyn said.
A devastating memory for his mother to look back on, but she knows he died doing what he did best: protect and serve.
Mo died a hero, a fact his mother is proud of. That pride lives side by side with pain.
"That was the longest day of my life," Evelyn said.
She said the pain has not gone away, and every day without him is a battle. That's why on Memorial Day, Evelyn is asking everyone to take a moment to remember her son and all the other men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“Enjoy the BBQ, enjoy the beach, enjoy all the spoils that you have, but remember those who gave their lives so that you can do what you do,” Evelyn said.
Lutz residents fight private school rezoning at county hearing
More than 30 residents showed up to Hillsborough County's Land Use Hearing to reject a rezoning proposal that would bring a 1,000-student private school to Lutz.
