Dozens of people on Chicago's West Side hit the streets along with a caravan of vehicles calling for an end to the gun violence in the city.
“It’s heartbreaking,” participant Maria Rojano told NBC Chicago. “It’s a pain I don’t wish on anyone.”
Rojano and her family joined the March for Peace near Madison Street and Hamlin Avenue to honor her younger brother Jesus. The 17-year-old was gunned down last May.
"He was a joy to be around so it doesn’t make sense to me that somebody would do what they did," she said.
The Westside Block Association organized the march in partnership with 7 Slot Platoon. Organizers said the goal is to raise awareness and bring attention to the resources available to the heart of the neighborhood and to provide a safe place for families to make their voices heard.
“If you look around it’s just not a Black thing; it’s not a Hispanic thing; it’s an us thing right here,” said 7 Slot Platoon President Ray Jones.
“I talk to a lot of street cats, the older generation they’re trying to pretty much get a lot of the gangs to stop what they used to do,” 7 Slot Platoon Vice President CJ Clark said.
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“We just want the violence to stop,” said 7 Slot Platoon Event Coordinator Nakita Harris. “Come together as a family—that’s what we really want.”
According to Chicago police, 111 murders have occurred in the city so far in 2024, down 5% compared to the same time last year.
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For violence prevention workers, like James Luckes with Together Chicago, he’s hoping for a ceasefire during the summer months.
“It’s a cry and a plea to say hey put the guns down, at least try,” he said. “We haven’t tried let’s see what we could do if we tried—we have to try to make a change.”
As families continue to heal, those marching said it’s going to take more than just police to fight crime.
“We need to stand up, come together, like these laws need to be tougher with these guns, stop letting everybody out,” said Tamela Scott, who loss her nephew to gun violence in 2022. “Stand up.”
