Miami Residents Hold Peace Walk In Response To Recent Gun Violence
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Liberty City residents fed up with deadly shootings in their neighborhood take to the streets in two separate marches, demanding change.
Joining residents were city and county leaders, as well as Miami-Dade Police and City of Miami Police.
"We still need a better life. We need a change. We need them to care for our community," said Terry Elliott Sr., one of dozens of residents who took part in the peace march.
Northwestern Senior High student Kimson Green, 17, and former student Ricky Dixon, 18, were killed Sunday in a shooting that left two others injured off Northwest 63rd Street and 13th Place.
Just two blocks from there, 4-year-old Nyla Jones was killed a little more than one week earlier in a shooting.
Liberty City has been plagued with gun violence for decades but City of Miami mayor Francis Suarez thinks this may be a turning point for the community.
"I think you could feel the difference," said Suarez. "I mean I think the rallies are different. There's a different climate. I think people have just sort of gotten fed up. Certainly our presence has been much more significant than it's ever been."
"You want justice? Start telling. Point them out!" yelled out a marcher.
That's exactly what Miami's Chief of Police is asking residents to do in order to help police clean up the area.
"It sounds great to say enough is enough and it looks great on a bumper sticker or t-shirt but saying that is not enough. You gotta live it. And that means when you go home and you see someone outside in the corner selling drugs, where there's drugs there's guns, please call us and tell us who, what, when, where," said City of Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina.
Earlier in the day Chopper 4 was over the scene as a a crowd marched from Brickell to the Stephen P. Clark building in Downtown Miami, where demonstrators demanded to speak with county leaders.
"We're not down here trying to make a ruckus. These people just want a fair chance," said a woman in the crowd.
"You want to address the county commission? We'll set that up. Any of these folks who are here from my staff can do that," Miami-Dade County District 7 Commissioner Xavier Suarez told the crowd.
Chopper 4 was also overhead as students at Northwestern Senior High also took action gathering on schools grounds in the track and field.
Tuesday Students walked out of class and off campus shortly before noon to protest gun violence. Some carried posters with photos of the victims from Sunday's shooting.
"We were close friends," said Northwestern Senior High student Davonte Price. "I saw him Saturday. It's shocking to see that [he was killed]."
Mayor Suarez says he's reaching out to county, state and federal governments for resources to help patrol, investigate and prosecute criminals in the area.
