At least 50 people have been shot in Chicago over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, with the youngest victim just 2 years old, but large numbesr of people aren’t just watching crime plague their neighborhoods: they’re doing something about it themselves.
Rally, after rally, after rally and yet the violence still persists, but for people like community activist Andrew Holmes, more needs to be done, so he’s hitting the streets himself.
“It’s been a uptick, a trend, and I’ve been telling them and letting the know. Lock the gun down!" said Holmes. "You just cannot let your boyfriend, your family members keep coming inside your house with a weapon of mass destruction and your baby gets a hold to it.”
Holmes passed out gun locks at 79th and Hermitage after a 2-year-old suffered a gunshot wound after finding a loaded gun inside a residence.
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Holmes even boarded a CTA bus to pass them out in hopes that guns would not end up in the wrong hands.
That’s something Dr. Sharon Pughsley knows all too well after her daughter, a police officer, was shot and killed down south. She’s since joined forces with Holmes.
“As long as I have breath in my body and I’m able to get out physically to help somebody cause this act could save one person’s life," said Dr. Pughsley. "If we do that my job is met.”
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“If anything that I can do can help someone else you know keeping the safety of a gun, keeping the guns locked up or whatever, I would do so,” said gun lock recipient, Rashad Ellis.
Over at 31st Street Beach, people were busy soaking up the Memorial Day sun but extra police patrols were on hand. They guarded entrances, exits and everywhere in between so people could enjoy the holiday safely.
“The community needs peace now more than ever," said Tio Hardiman, CEO of the non-profit Violence Interrupters. "So today we come in the spirit of peace and unity on this block club today in the Austin community.”
In the South Austin neighborhood, the Violence Interrupters joined together with neighbors and formed a peace circle. Their goal is to come up with additional solutions to violence in Chicago.
“One solution today that you can see is you have block club presidents that monitor what’s going on on their block,” said Hardiman.
That’s just one solution. Organizations like Violence Interrupts and One Northside are committed to making communities safer and want to work with you. As for the gun locks that were passed out today, Andrew Holmes has passed out over 6,000.
If residents would like one of the devices, they are encouraged to call 1-800-U-Tell-Us.
