GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Nearly six months after the tragic death of 13-year-old Jaleeyah Tune, her family stood alongside lawmakers, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials in Raleigh to advocate for legislation aimed at strengthening North Carolina’s fight against gang violence.
Jaleeyah was killed in December, leaving behind a grieving family determined to turn their loss into meaningful change. At a press conference announcing House Bill 1137, known as “Jaleeyah’s Law,” her mother, Whitney Brown-Tune, spoke emotionally about the impact of losing her daughter and her hopes that the legislation will help prevent similar tragedies.
“It means a lot. It means everything because she’ll be statewide, and everybody will get to know her name and save other lives as well because she was so loving and caring,” Brown-Tune said.
She described the pain of life without her daughter.
“Hard. Missing her. The absence of her. Her laugh, smile, blowing us up, dancing, asking for Takis and French fries, but just missing her. Her spirit,” she said.
Whitney’s sister, Shalanda Tune, said the family’s loss highlights the need for stronger efforts to address youth involvement in gangs.
“If we don’t give these kids either something more positive to do or real repercussions, we’re not going to be the last family y’all talk to,” Shalanda Tune said.
The legislation was spearheaded by Wayne County Representative John Bell, who assembled a coalition that includes Representative Sarah Stevens, Senator Buck Newton, Representative Jimmy Dixon, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and community leaders.
Stevens, a senior Judiciary Committee chair and co-sponsor of the bill, said lawmakers have worked extensively to ensure the proposal is clear and effective.
“One of my jobs as the Judiciary chair is to make sure we get the bill in really good form so that it’s ready to be passed and it’s clear and can be understood. We have done that,” Stevens said. “We’re honored to do this for you.”
The proposed legislation contains several provisions designed to strengthen gang suppression efforts statewide.
Among the bill’s key components are the creation of two statewide resource prosecutors and a criminal investigator focused on gang activity, drug trafficking, fentanyl distribution, and organized crime. The bill also updates definitions within North Carolina’s Gang Suppression Act, increases penalties for recruiting young people into gangs, enhances punishment for gang-related firearm offenses, clarifies what evidence can be used to prove gang activity in court, and strengthens penalties for felonies committed as part of gang-related crimes.
Ernest Darroch, Deputy Director of the State Bureau of Investigation, said gang violence impacts communities across North Carolina and the nation.
“Gang violence is more than a crime stat or something you see on the news,” Darroch said. “It affects real people: parents who worry about their children walking home from school, neighborhoods that live in fear of retaliation and violence, and young people who feel trapped into making bad decisions.”
Darroch emphasized the SBI’s commitment to partnering with local law enforcement agencies to combat gang activity and improve public safety.
Chuck Spahos of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys said the legislation could significantly strengthen the state’s ability to prosecute gang-related crimes.
“From this loss, hopefully some good can come and some badly needed tweaks to existing law and some enhancements in the existing law can put some real teeth in North Carolina’s gang suppression statute,” Spahos said.
He also praised the family’s efforts to honor Jaleeyah’s memory through legislative action.
“What you have done to remember Jaleeyah’s legacy is going to ripple not just across the state, but I believe it can be model legislation for the country,” he said.
The bill has garnered broad support from lawmakers, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, local governments, the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, the Goldsboro City Council, the Wayne County Board of Education, and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
House Bill 1137 is scheduled for a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. The meeting will be livestreamed and available to the public on YouTube.
As lawmakers prepare to consider the proposal, Jaleeyah’s family hopes her legacy will help save lives and bring about lasting change.
“Let’s make sure Jaleeyah’s Law becomes law,” supporters said during the press conference. “And then let’s put a stop so no other family has to go through what we’ve experienced here in Goldsboro, North Carolina.”
Comments