Our son, Luke Gilbert, would have been celebrating his 25th birthday today. 

When Luke became part of our lives, he made me a mother and my mum a grandmother, he changed our world. Life should always be cherished and protected and never be so throwaway as those who often come into contact with police seem to be.

Luke's absence on Mother's Day and his birthday is a stark reminder of the deep loss we face. As we remember Luke, we are comforted by reaching a significant milestone in our journey – 21,000 signatures. This is a testament to your generous support. 

Yet, even as we acknowledge this progress, we are painfully aware of the challenges that lie ahead. Luke's death under tragic circumstances and the subsequent lack of action against the officers involved exposes a disheartening truth about our justice system.

The pre-inquest evidence reveals that Luke didn't pose a threat as he was over 3 times the legal limit and was facing 2 apparently highly trained police officers both equiped with pepper spray, batons and tasers but chose to both pull out their handguns and shoot multiple shots when all he had was his small penknife (7cm blade) in his hand with arms by his side . Our son was denied his basic human rights, and we are left to question a system that allows such negligence to go unchecked.

We are running out of time. This is why we need your help now more than ever. Can you email the Queensland Attorney General demanding a fair and independent investigation?

Your support means the world to us. Stand with us, and let's seek #JusticeforLuke.

With heartfelt thanks,

Darren and Nicola, Luke's Parents