Empower Through Nonviolence

Choosing Loving Gestures was born from a heartbreak that no parent should ever know. In December 2019, Krista and Nevada Gwynn lost their son Christian in a drive-by shooting while he walked home in the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville. The loss triggered a long search for justice and meaning.

Sixteen months later, an arrest was made.  The accused, Jameko Hayden, accepted a plea deal for second-degree manslaughter and related charges—resulting in a sentence of 10 years behind bars with no chance of parole. The Gwynn family expressed disappointment, pointing out that no sentence can truly repay a lost life. 

In the years that followed, Krista chose not to be silenced by grief. Instead, she amplified her voice—joining Louisville mothers who traveled to Washington, D.C., to urge lawmakers to enact common-sense gun reforms.  Krista’s presence at those meetings made clear: you can’t forget a face. 

These real stories—the empty seat at the dinner table, the courtroom that feels hollow, the journey to D.C.—are not mere backdrops. They are the pillars of Choosing Loving Gestures’ mission.

Choosing Loving Gestures is not just a speaking business—it is a movement. Through Krista’s lived experience, we offer:

• Motivational & Advocacy Speaking
  Krista shares raw, authentic stories—from Christian’s last night to the courtroom testimony—to help audiences feel, heal, and mobilize.
• Community Workshops & Healing Circles
  We host safe spaces where survivors, families, and community members can express pain, find connection, and rebuild trust.
• Policy Education & Advocacy Training
  Workshops that help communities understand the legislative process—how to push for background checks, gun accountability, and local power over gun laws.
• Strategic Partnerships & Local Projects
  Collaborations with nonprofits, neighborhood groups, and faith-based organizations to launch peace initiatives, memorial projects, and preventive programs.

In Kentucky, gun laws are among the weakest in the nation. The state lacks foundational protections like universal background checks, concealed carry permitting, extreme risk laws, and safe storage requirements. Everytown Research & Policy The gun violence crisis is not abstract; it is local, personal, and ongoing.

Krista has stood alongside other mothers, mothers whose sons were murdered, in rallies, legislative meetings, and national platforms—making sure that the faces behind the tragedy are not forgotten. WLKY Through Choosing Loving Gestures, her story becomes a bridge: to families in mourning, to communities desperate for change, to lawmakers who often see only statistics—not lives.

• Bring Krista’s voice to your event. Book a keynote, panel, or session.
• Host a healing circle. Let trauma turn into connection and collective power.
• Partner with us on local action. Whether it’s a gun safety campaign or youth engagement project, Choosing Loving Gestures can help strategize.
• Share your story. Healing begins when voices are heard, and change begins when pain becomes purpose.

At Choosing Loving Gestures, we honor Christian’s life not with silence—but with action, advocacy, and love. We believe no parent should endure this loss—and that together, we can make our neighborhoods safer, our laws stronger, and our communities more compassionate.