Residents In Wilmington, Delaware Hold Rally To Address Gun Violence
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) -- A community desperately searching for solutions to solve the deadly gun crime problem in Wilmington, Delaware. Residents say they would rather this rally be about anything else -- but instead, they are gathering to address gun violence.
"Now we want to get back out and people are scared to come out because of this senseless gun violence," a resident said.
After a year plagued by bloodshed, a Stop The Violence rally was held in Wilmington, Delaware -- in an effort to make a point.
"We want to show symbolically that with this gun violence, you gonna end up in a coffin," a resident said.
So far this year, Wilmington police say there have been 62 shootings -- 15 of those fatal.
The most recent the shooting death of a 19-year-old near his home.
"It's not fair to us, so when you pick up that gun think about it that one gun is a domino effect and try something different," Jackie Kinard-Harrison said.
Jackie Kinard- Harrison says she knows how those mothers must feel.
Gun violence took the lives of her 2 sons.
"Omar was 21 when he was killed supposedly an altercation happened between someone else, a gentleman shot a gun in the air my son stood 6'2 it hit him right here and it killed him," Kinard-Harrison said.
This is not just a Wilmington issue.
Delaware's Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long says the entire state is seeing an uptick in crime as they deal with the pandemic.
"There's been a lot more mental distress and emotional challenges and as we reopened we had unfortunately as of July, almost 150 shootings, 40 fatalities with a large portion here in our own city," Hall-Long said.
The turnout at Sunday's rally showed they weren't giving up hope.
"I just think it's enough, and we need to stop killing us," another resident said.