Community leaders host âStop the Killingâ to speak out against gun violence
WATCH: FFUN, Westwood community hold Stop the Killing event By WMC Action News 5 Staff | May 11, 2021 at 10:28 AM CDT - Updated May 11 at 11:22 AM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The Concerned Citizens of Westwood along with Stevie Moore of Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives (F.F.U.N.) are speaking out against gun violence in the community.
The groups are demanding community members âStop the Killingâ hoping to promote unity and create safer neighborhoods. This comes as four juveniles were victims in shootings in Memphis within the last four days.
âGiven the alarming increase of lives lost by gun crimes â especially involving youth, more communities like Westwood must get involved as a united front against senseless killings and gun violence,â said Moore.
Wearing shirts and carrying signs with the names and faces of loved ones, hundreds of people marched against gun violence Saturday in Memphis, marking the city s second-ever Unity Walk and its first since setting a new record of 332 homicides in 2020.
Undeterred by overcast skies, an estimated 500 people gathered for the Unity Walk Against Gun Violence at Whitehaven s Hillcrest High School, according to the office of Shelby County District Amy Weirich. One of those people was Eunice Harris, 60, of East Memphis, whose 26-year-old son, Brandon Lipsey, was shot and killed on Aug. 6, 2018. You never know when this might happen to you; just pray to God that it don t, because this is really serious, said Harris, speaking of losing a loved one to gun violence. She added, with emphasis: It affects you. It affects your mind. It affects your whole world.
Combating crime during a pandemic By Briseida Holguin | February 4, 2021 at 5:32 PM CST - Updated February 4 at 7:37 PM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Combating crime during in a pandemic is a challenge, but not impossible said Major Frank Winston with the Memphis Police Multi-Agency Gang.
Major Winston said national gangs began to surface in Memphis in the late 80′s.
Now, the city is seeing what they call hybrid or neighborhood gangs, which can be just as dangerous.
“The ones that we know of yes, they can, and they are violent in nature. They have committed some violent crimes,” Winston said.
Major Winston also said in the last three years members have gotten younger.
Local leaders make plea to stop violence in the new year
City leaders plead with community stop the violence By Arianna Poindexter | December 31, 2020 at 5:40 PM CST - Updated December 31 at 6:48 PM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Local leaders are calling for a city-wide 30-day non-violence challenge for the start of the New Year.
“We are a community in crisis,” Tennessee State Rep. G.A. Hardaway said.
Plea for no gunshots on New Year s Eve
On the final day of 2020, Hardaway along with city leaders and activists made a plea to put the guns down as we head into 2021.
“We can’t change this thing in the white house, we can’t change this thing in the capital building, we can’t change this thing on these computers. We got to face this thing head-on,” Keith Leechman, Director of the organization, Stop the Killing and Cut the Beef, said.