CHICAGO — During a peace rally and march on Chicago’s South Side, hundreds came together to call for an end to gun violence.
The march was held at Saint Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham on Friday night.
“We gather to refuse to accept violence as a norm,” Rev. Michael Pfleger, from the Faith Community of Saint Sabina, said.
Hundreds gathered to fight for unity and change, pleading with those committing gun crimes to stop the violence.
“We are out here because we want the killing to stop. We don’t want it to continue. There’s too many broken hearts out here,” Tonya Burch, who lost two sons to gun violence said.
Burch said her sons, Deonte Smith and Javier Burch, were both killed in separate shootings in 2009 and 2021.
“We are out here to let people know they are not alone, and everything don’t have to stop at death,” Burch said.
It is a pain Burch said she wouldn’t wish on anyone, but for many in the crowd, it is a pain they know all too well.
Delphine Cherry’s oldest child, Tyesa Abeney, was killed by a stray bullet in 1992.
Twenty years later, she lost her youngest, Tyler Randolph, when he was shot and killed in her driveway.
“We’re killing our babies, black, brown. It’s just sad. On my block alone there’s been four shootings. Nobody knows nothing, says nothing,” Cherry said.
But those who attended Friday want to see that change. They want no other family to face the all too familiar pain that comes with burying a child.
The crowd included residents from across Chicago, elected officials, Arnie Duncan, the former United States Secretary of Education, former NBA player, Bobby Simmons, and actor, author, rapper, activist and Chicago’s very own, Common.
Father Pfleger said it is time to make the streets safer for all Chicagoans.
“I said we’re going to change the world,” Pfleger said