It's been more than 30 years since Niecy Nash's family was torn apart by the tragic death of her brother.
The Rookie: Feds actress' teen sibling, Michael Ensley, was killed during a shooting at his high school when he was 17 years old and Niecy has been fighting for tighter gun laws ever since.
Michael was gunned down at Reseda High School on February 22, 1993, by then-16-year-old Robert Lee Heard Jr.
Niecy has reflected on her brother's death many times; most recently after the Nashville school shooting which claimed many young victims' lives.
"In 1993, my only brother was killed on his high school campus because somebody brought a gun to school," she said through tears in a TikTok video.
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"It's 2023, and there are babies who will never make it home to see their parents."
And those parents will forever be in a space where they're like, 'What was the last thing I said? What was the last lunch I made? What was their last thought [or] experience? Did they call out for me?'"
Michael's killer was reportedly sent to a juvenile corrections facility in 2002. But the following year, he was convicted of attempted first-degree murder and went to prison, only to be released in 2011.
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In 2012, Robert was arrested again for allegedly stabbing and killing his wife, Demetra Doyle Heard.At the time Niecy spoke to TMZ and said: "No family should have to endure the loss of a loved one at the hands of a previously convicted violent criminal. I am deeply saddened to hear that the man who murdered my brother, Michael Ensley, has been charged with murder again.”
She added, “I grieve for every family who has been victimized by this heinous individual. My prayers and love go out to the family of Demetra Doyle Heard during this trying time."
In the aftermath, of her brother's death, Niecy began telling jokes to help her mother cope with depression. "That is when I knew I had a gift to do comedy," she said. "I decided I was going to go out and spread this around as a means to help the other people who are suffering."
Her mother founded M.A.V.I.S. - Mothers Against Violence in Schools. She is also a board member of Women Against Gun Violence.
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