Hundreds Rally To End Violence In Dorchester
BOSTON (CBS) - Hundreds of people took to the streets of Dorchester Tuesday night as part of a "Peace Rally and March" that was meant to call an end to the violence there.
Members of the community met at the Ashmont MBTA station for a brief rally before taking a walking tour of several streets that have seen terrible violence against young people in recent weeks.
The first stop was the scene of the shooting of 16-year-old Jonathan Dos Santos, who police say was gunned down by two other teens just blocks from his home while he was riding his bike.
"It has to stop somewhere," explained rally organizer Rosalind Wornum.
"God gave me the vision and I just stepped out on faith," Wornum said. "We just need to come together as one, no matter what. All lives matter. Unity in the community. Peace on our streets."
March organizers traced a path past Dos Santos' family home as well as the spot on West Seldon Street where 8-year-old Yadielys Camacho was killed by a car while she rode her bike with her cousin.
They also marched past a third location near Talbot Avenue where 18-year-old Fritz Philogene was killed when a car struck him on his bike.
Organizers of the rally have the optimism that their efforts will pay off, but some victims' mothers aren't so sure.
Dijanira DeAndrade, whose 8-year-old son was shot as he rode his bike on Bowdoin Street, says she cannot stop worrying about his safety.
"I think about it all the time if it's going to happen again and I feel like there's no way for me to protect my child."