After losing her daughter to gun violence, a Tucson mother turns to the city's VIVA outreach program

For Tucson families affected by gun violence, the city’s response is not limited to police investigations or emergency calls. The Violence Prevention and Intervention program, known as VIVA, is also connecting survivors and grieving relatives with counseling, support groups, community events and direct outreach. Rosie Felix, whose daughter Rebecca was killed in a domestic gun violence incident five years ago, says those services have helped her begin moving through a loss that continues to shape her life.

Rebecca was found dead near Ajo Way, and Rosie still returns daily to a photograph of her daughter. She described Rebecca as “number one” in her life and said the pain of losing her has never been easy to express. For Rosie, the killing was not simply a crime reported in the news. It was a family tragedy that left her confronting a future without her child and trying to understand how someone could take a life.

In the aftermath, Rosie said she fell into a deep depression. She withdrew from other people, smoked cigarettes, stopped eating and wanted to stay inside rather than face the world. She continues to cry and struggle with sadness, but counseling and contact with others who have lost children have given her ways to cope. Rosie said she joined a group she referred to as a greeting class for people grieving the deaths of their children, an experience that helped her feel less isolated.

The city operates VIVA through the Tucson Police Department, with an Outreach Department designed to provide direct, on-the-ground assistance to people dealing with violence and its consequences. Rather than waiting for residents to find help on their own, outreach workers connect with people in neighborhoods and at community events. The program concentrates on five areas identified as violence hot spots, spread across much of Tucson. Its work includes helping residents find resources, building relationships and reaching people who may be facing trauma, conflict or other pressures tied to violence.

City officials report that violence has generally declined in those VIVA areas, although the pattern has not been even from year to year. Tucson recorded its highest number of homicides in 2021, with 86 cases. Last year, the city recorded 56 homicides, the lowest total in the period described by officials and a 14 percent decline from 2024, when there were 65. Guns remained a major factor. Officials said 77 percent of last year’s homicide cases involved a firearm.

The broader impact is also visible across Pima County. The county recorded 203 firearm deaths last year, a figure that includes more than the homicides tracked in Tucson. City officials say gun violence involving people younger than 18 is an increasing concern. Rosie said she hears about that concern through her granddaughter, who told her about a young boy carrying a gun. When asked whether such incidents were occurring at schools, Rosie confirmed that they were.

Rosie wants young people to understand the consequences of choosing violence before another family experiences the loss she has endured. She said sharing her story is one way to urge people to think twice about using guns or turning to violence. Her experience also illustrates why city officials describe outreach as an effort that must continue beyond individual arrests or short-term interventions. A grieving parent may need support years after a shooting, while neighborhoods require sustained attention to prevent new conflicts from escalating.

The city plans to keep visiting VIVA hot spots, organize community events and expand efforts to connect with young people. Officials say changing the conditions that contribute to violence will take time, with a goal of transforming communities over the next 15 to 20 years. For Rosie, none of those efforts can restore Rebecca or erase the depression that followed her death. Still, she sees expanded outreach and accessible support as steps toward preventing other families from enduring the same heartbreak.

Tucson residents seeking information about VIVA or assistance through the city’s outreach resources can call 311. The city specifically directs people seeking program information or nonemergency help to use 311 rather than 911. For families affected by gun violence, that connection may provide a starting point for counseling, community support or other services while they try to move forward.