'Faith Up, Guns Down' | Hundreds Show Up To Unite Baltimore Against Violence
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- With more than 120 homicides in the first five months of 2019, city officials hope to unite Baltimore against violence.
Hundreds came out to a rally in northeast Baltimore to stop the violence Sunday as the city marks National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
"This is the most important time for this, as the temperature gets hotter we know that crime picks up," said Pastor Damn Dorsey of Walk by Faith Ministries. "What we want to do again is just provide some type of faith, inspiration, and encouragement for people to let people know no matter where you are, God still loves you."
The event was aimed at bringing attention to Gun Violence Awareness Day and preventing more bloodshed in a city struggling with a homicide epidemic.
"I'm just hoping that it'll start reaching these folk who are carrying the illegal guns and are repeat violent offenders. It's a problem,"Mayor Jack Young said.
Four years in a row, Baltimore has seen more than 300 homicides, and 2019 is on pace to match that number.
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Sunday's event, organized by City's State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office, is intended to get the community involved.
"It's time for us collectively to come together and change the trajectory and to find productive activities for our young people, especially when we know they're getting out of school," Mosby said.
The City's State's Attorney will be hosting a variety of pop-up events for families from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays all summer.