FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Pastors, clergy and other faith leaders came together with Fort Pierce police Thursday morning to call for an end to violence in the community.
The interfaith news conference comes in response to the shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Ilouis Ellis Park, when eight people were injured by gunfire, including a mother who died from her injuries.
At around 9 a.m. the community leaders gathered at the Lincoln Park Florida Community Health Center on Avenue G to discuss ways to prevent violence like that from happening again.
"We have to take ownership. This is our city," said one speaker.
Residents cited the need for more involvement in the community, specifically in the lives of children.
Pinky Henley, the pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship Church, has been instrumental in working with other faith leaders on a gun violence prevention proposal. She said the community needs to do more than just talk about ending the violence, and needs to follow through with real action.
“I want to say to this community, this can’t be a moment for us to appear on camera and have a moment where we talk about what’s going on and then it’s forgotten about next week,"she said. "This is 365 days a week. If we are really concerned about getting here and making a difference, everybody needs to come.”
Community advocates with the Fort Pierce Police Department also spoke, letting the community know they are here to help the community heal, and said real change starts with reaching the community's youth.
