Mother of boy paralyzed by gun violence speaks out

CLOSE "My son was just at the wrong place at the wrong time" said DeAndra Yates, the mother of a teenage shooting victtim. The parents are asking for the community to help find out what happened to their son. Danese Kenon/The Star DeAndre Knox had nothing to do with the fight that broke out at the birthday party he attended in February 2014 on Indianapolis' east side.But the 13-year-old was the only one wounded when that fight escalated to gun violence and 22 bullets ripped through the home where the party was being held.That moment left DeAndre, now 18, a quadriplegic who is unable to speak. DeAndre was a high-achieving student and a two-sport athlete who dreamed of attending Indiana University, before his life was irrevocably altered.Buy PhotoDeAndra Yates sits with her son DeAndre Knox during a therapy session at NeuroRestorative in Carbondale, Ill. (Photo: Robert Scheer/IndyStar)Now, just days before the National Rifle Association holds its annual convention in Indianapolis, DeAndre's mother and other gun safety advocates say the NRA is pushing a "dangerous agenda" that has little to do with Second Amendment rights. NRA coming to town: Trump NRA visit: How the president's visit will affect traffic[1]"Don't let the noise of the convention fool you. … We reject the gun lobby’s dangerous agenda and we will continue to demand action on gun safety until no other family has to experience the pain that my family has," said DeAndra Yates-Dycus, DeAndre's mother.During a Wednesday morning press event, Yates-Dycus joined Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts and John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, to discuss the convention and a new campaign to counter the event.Trump in Indianapolis: How his visit will affect traffic[2]Restaurants and hotels respond: How they handle patrons carrying guns[3]Called "NRA in Crisis,"[4] the effort is a $100,000 ad campaign created to report claims of the NRA's

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