Within 24 hours, 15 people were victims of gun violence on July 28. Half of those shot, including two teens, were near the same corner on the West Side –– Homan Avenue and Walnut Street.
Within 24 hours, 15 people were victims of gun violence on July 28. Half of those shot, including two teens, were near the same corner on the West Side –– Homan Avenue and Walnut Street. At about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, someone exited a vehicle on Homan and Walnut, and sprayed the area with bullets. Seven people, including a 15-year-old and 16-year-old, were shot. Eight others were shot in separate incidents throughout the city. In the wake of the rash of shootings, the anti-violence organization CeaseFire held a prayer vigil Friday on that corner asking for increased peace throughout the city and demanded that Gov. Pat Quinn restore funding to the organization. “People need to think before they shoot. We’re doing the best we can with mediations and preventing retaliations. From January to June 30, we’ve mediated 220 conflicts that could’ve escalated to violence. But we need the financial help,” Tio Hardimon, director of CeaseFire Illinois, said during a news conference before about three dozen participated in the vigil. CeaseFire is a Chicago-based organization that leads anti-violence marches, does outreach work and conducts conflict mediation between gangs, and deals with other interpersonal squabbles to calm tension. In August 2007, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich abruptly yanked the $6.2 million the organization had been receiving. The group received $16.2 million between 2004 and 2006, with $11 million coming from Illinois. State funding –– $4.6 million –– was restored in February but ended June 30, leaving the organization again financially strapped to put its “violence interrupters” on the streets to help quell the violence, Hardimon said. “We should’ve received that money in July of last year, but we didn’t get it until early 2009. Now it’s gone. We’re only asking for $6.2 million,” he said. The Rev. Robin Hood of Clergy Committed to Communities said while the government isn’t the answer to all things, it is the answer to money that should be funneled to CeaseFire. “They need to be back on the streets in full force. Our children should not be in fear in their own communities,” Hood said. Sixteen-year-old Brandon Barnes said if there were more summer and after-school programs there would be fewer young victims of the violence. “We also need more peace rallies in the community,” Barnes said. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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