FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend at Holy Vow International Ministries was filled with speeches centered around solving gun violence in Fort Pierce, rather than the usual beginning of summer celebrations.
The Fort Pierce Police Department said five people were shot Saturday, three of the five were teenagers, early Saturday morning. Although all received non-life-threatening injuries, it's the second weekend in a row where a series of shootings occurred in the city's north side community.
Pastor Dr. Anthony Sanders organized the event at his church on Sunday after the series of shootings the previous weekend, leaving three people dead. He said he's tired and frustrated with gun violence, which he said is a perpetual issue in this city.
"We need boots on the ground," Sanders said. "Y’all have ideas and strategies. We need them. We need them. This is not a show.”
He said he's had family affected by gun violence and said he used to write raps around the amount of violence in the city of Fort Pierce. People at the meeting said the amount of violence in the north side of Fort Pierce is a concern.
“I know there are a lot of people, who are afraid of the northside of town and they will not go," said one person attending the event. "But that’s where our problem is resting.”
"We need help," said another attendee. "This is ridiculous. I don’t want no mom to go what I went through.”
Sandy Nedd said she believed a possible solution was an increase in mental health services. She said she was disappointed
with the amount of violence in her home city.
"When is this going to end," Nedd said. "Is that what I came home for?"
The event attracted about 30 people, including Mayor Linda Hudson, City Manager Nicholas Mimms, City Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr, and other elected officials. On Monday, WPTV pressed Hudson who asked WPTV for solutions at the city's regular schedule council meeting.
"We're looking for it too, but every city in America is having this kind of problem," Hudson said. "So, we're open to it and we're working on a lot of the things that need to happen."
"That sounds like you don't know what the solution is?" WPTV's Ethan Stein told Hudson.
"Well, do you know what the solution is?" asked Hudson.
Hudson and the city manager didn't speak at Sunday's meeting. But, Johnson spoke about the various challenges facing the city, including a smaller budget than the county.
Aisha Nash brought up a variety of solutions to solve gun violence in Fort Pierce, including starting mentorship programs at an earlier age, use the schools and community programs to ensure behavior intervention and conflict resolution is taught properly, and changes to punishments given to juveniles.
Another attendee brought up the suggestion of giving kids more ways to "get off the streets" at Sunday's meeting.
“The best thing we can do is create programs for kids, who want to be good and continue to be good," he said.
WPTV's Kate Hussey connected the mayor with Florida Rights Restoration Coalition earlier this week, who held a Zoom conversation last week about evidence-based ways to lower gun violence in Fort Pierce. Other nonprofits at the meeting suggested their services and expertise at the meeting as well.
