ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The mother of a Rockford woman who was shot and killed on 19th Street in May is speaking out.

She opened up about the long-term impacts this has on the victim’s four kids. Jordan’s mom, Debbie Parks, is asking for the violence to stop after her only daughter was shot multiple times during what she says was a drive-by-shooting.

“I should not be burying my kid. It’s not what I should be doing, it’s not what any parent should be doing,” said Parks.

Jordan Thomas was a single mother of four–all under the age of 10. Her mother Debbie says the hardest part is them being forced to grow up without a mother.

“The kids are holding in there, the two youngest ones, they don’t understand. The two older ones, they realize and they know that mom’s not coming back,” she explained.

She remembers receiving the life-changing phone call from a Chaplain with the Rockford Police Department.

“He started to say, ‘Unfortunately’ and after I heard the, unfortunately, I knew that it wasn’t going to be good,” Parks remembers.

Parks says she was told Jordan was shot while inside the home and was found laying in the street.

“He had explained that she didn’t make it and I just collapsed,” said Parks.

Now she wants people to understand the impact violence has on families.

“I shouldn’t have had to tell them that their mother was not going to be coming back because there was a bad person who was out there that hurt her. And that she was not going to be coming back home and that she was in heaven,” Parks said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help Park raise her daughter’s kids. If you are interested in donating, click here.

“I never realized how many people cared – not just about her – but her kids and our family,” added Parks.

We reached out to Rockford PD but don’t have an update on the investigation at this time.