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Local Leaders Call For A Stop To Gun Violence

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HOMESTEAD (CBSMiami) – Local leaders gathered Thursday in a call for action to stop the gun violence in Homestead and Florida City.

"Gun violence, it must cease and that must stop," said City of Homestead Councilman Jimmie Williams. "Over the last year or so, we have had over 16 shootings of innocent victims here between the city of Homestead and also Florida City."

Since October 8th, four separate shootings have claimed four lives and injured several others.

The latest shooting, on Tuesday, claimed the life of 32-year-old Renaldo Clayton.

His cousin, Karen Hilton, was also on hand for the news conference and spoke out.

"He was a great father. He raised his son the way you're supposed to raise your children," said Hilton. "It's very difficult and especially not knowing what it was all about…we're gonna miss him."

Over the weekend, two separate shootings left two teens dead --16-year-old Rahkeem Brown and 17-year-old Noricia Talabert.

A vigil was held earlier this week in Brown's memory. Police said his killer 15-year-old Dennis Lee Shelby turned himself in to police Monday.

"My brother was a good boy. We are glad they found somebody for this but we want to find the others that were there. We want everyone in the car when my brother got killed," said Brown's sister Kiki Clark.

But other shootings remain unsolved and that's why community leaders are calling on the public to help put those responsible in jail and put an end to the violence.

"We don't want our younger people to end here at a funeral home, especially when they have such a bright future," said Williams.

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