Local community groups create "peace week" to end gun violence
Local community groups are teaming up with city leaders to try to take down violence in South Bend.
Stop the Violence Peace Week was created as part of a proactive stance against gun violence and gang culture throughout Michiana.
City leaders like Second District Councilwoman of South Bend, Regina Williams-Preston and local organizations like Nu Black Power Movement say the goal is to take on these issues before another gun-related death happens in our community.
“The question becomes, what happens before somebody picks up a gun, before there’s actually a violent act that brings about the death of a person, there’s actually a lot of things that’s going on. People are hurting… people are hurting,” said Williams-Preston.
The plan during the Peace Week is to round up the community and talk about stopping the issue at the root, rather than waiting until something happens. Preston says she’s tired of seeing so much energy being put into the aftermath of gun violence and gang culture. She says if they can stop these issues early on and provide interventions and support, that’s another way to reduce the violence.
“There’s so much violence going on before someone picks up a gun. When we have such great loss, when a young person loses a friend to violence, where are the resources to help them process that and start infusing resources and support so that we’re not looking at this cycle of retaliation,” asked William-Preston.
Stop the Violence Peace Week will continue through Friday with a panel discussion happening Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the martin Luther King Center on Linden Avenue in South Bend. A community march will happen Saturday morning starting at the MLK Center. The time for that march has not yet been released.