PEORIA, Ill. – In the last several days, and especially since Thursday’s two deaths deemed to be homicides in Peoria and Wednesday’s mass shooting injuring six, people have doing what they can to make things better – either by helping, or by praying.
Even as they continue to raise much needed funds to stay in operation, Peoria Community Against Violence has helped the families impacted by the three recent shootings in Peoria as well as others.
“These kids are in a war they did not sign up for,” said Becky Rossman, CEO, Peoria Community Against Violence, to 25 News. “A lot of them have talked about, ‘Becky, I didn’t pick the streets.’ Or, they tell my team that. ‘The streets chose me.’”
Rossman says parents need to be vigilant and do something if they see their kids doing things like making threats online. She says many South Peoria families are too scared to go home, amid what has become a “kill or be killed” mentality.
Some say they felt “called” to do something after the recent violence of the last several days and weeks in Peoria.
“That’s our hope, and that’s our prayer – giving young men the ability to be able to have a vision, to see something other than what they’re seeing,” said Pastor Ahmad Dawson, New Life Christian Church. “A man without a future will always return to his past.”
Another pastor has another idea.
“Get out in the community and talk to different people, so it can change the direction of even how they think. Most people are going to live the way that they think. If you can talk to people and change how they think, it can also change how they live.”
Peoria City Council At Large Member Mike Vespa says weapons continue to be his big concern.
“These guns are weapons of war,” said Vespa. “If they are, indeed, automatic guns, machine guns, they have no place in our streets. They have no place for self defense. These are weapons that are designed to kill.”
Overall, Peoria Police says murders are up 13 percent over the same period last year, while shooting murders are down. More weapons are being recovered, but more ShotSpotter alerts and more rounds fired are being recorded.
Another prayer vigil is planned for Saturday at noon at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, followed by a community discussion at the Southside Community Center.
