BY JASON COHEN
As shootings are up 86
percent in NYC compared
to this time last year, many
are are afraid things will
only get worse as the warm
weather comes.
Gun violence plagued the
Bronx in May with a man
and woman being shot near
Gouverneur Playground on
May 6 and a teenager was
killed near Claremont Park
on May 15.
Recognizing this is Gun
Violence Awareness Month,
Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson
and community groups
held a rally June 2 to stress
the need to end gun violence.
The lawmaker was joined
by nonprofits Bringing the
Peace, Save Our Streets
Bronx, Bronx Connect, Release
the Grip, B.R.A.G and
Guns Down, Life Up.
Gibson noted that far too
often gun violence doesn’t
just take the lives of people
involved in gangs or drugs,
but innocent bystanders.
Furthermore, it is people
within the community killing
each other.
“We want a safe summer
for 2021,” Gibson exclaimed.
“We stand here united with
one voice, one purpose, with
one mission and that is to
save our children.”
According to Gibson, the
trauma of losing a child,
parent or loved one should
not be normalized. Unfortunately,
it is for far too many
people in the borough.
One way to help prevent
young people from entering
into a life of crime is providing
them with resources.
The councilwoman announced
that the city is rolling
out a program titled Saturday
Night Lights, where
100 schools will be open on
Fridays and Saturdays from
6 p.m. to midnight for basketball
and soccer.
“The best thing we can do
for a young person is to offer
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 2 UNE 11-17, 2021 BTR
them a job,” she stressed.
“We cannot allow our children
to be gunned down in
our community.
I take this very personal.
We want to take back our
streets from those who want
to inflict and impose violence
on our neighborhood.”
Among those at the rally
were Linda Kemp, founder of
Bringing the Peace and Bernard
Smith, founder of Stop
the Violence. Kemp, who lost
her grandson to gun violence
last summer, said children
should not be afraid to walk
in the street.
She recalled how she recently
attended an anti-gun
violence rally where children
held signs “Put your
guns away I want to come
out and play.”
Kemp said parents need
to stand up and denounce violence.
“We have to tackle gun
violence in our community
like a health problem,” she
Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson speaks at a rally condemning gun violence.
Photos by Jason Cohen
stated.
Smith, who lost his son
Arnold to gun violence in
2000, shares her sentiments.
“We have to teach the
parents how to get rid of
these guns,” he commented.
“We’re going to stop the violence
in our community by
any means necessary.”
“We stand here united”
Gibson, advocates, and mothers of gun
violence victims condemn gun violence
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