Boston Mother Of 13-Year-Old Shooting Victim To Attend State Of The Union

A Boston woman whose young son was fatally shot in 2007 will attend President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's guest.

Kim Odom's 13-year-old son, Steven, was shot near the family's Dorchester home as he returned from playing basketball in October 2007.

Odom will also spend two days lobbying members of Congress for gun control. The group Mayors Against Illegal Guns is sponsoring the lobbying effort of 120 people affected by gun violence to push for such reforms as universal background checks.

Odom said her son had written about his hopes for an end to street violence.

"He said that it's a shame that people get shot and killed every day," she said. "And so that right there is really speaking to me as I go to the president's State of the Union."

Odom is Warren's only guest at the address.

"I feel like it's a tribute to the memory of my son," she said. "We have dedicated ourselves to being a part of those who are trying to find solutions to the violence in our communities."

Added Warren in a statement:

Kim has worked tirelessly as a neighborhood leader in Dorchester and is a powerful voice calling for meaningful action to stop gun violence in our communities. We owe it to Steven and all the families who have been impacted by gun violence to do everything we can to put an end to these senseless tragedies. I’m honored to invite Kim to join me at the State of the Union address.