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Hundreds Gather For Prayer & A Call To Action

Randy Gorbman
/
WXXI News

Hundreds gathered on Genesee Street in Rochester on Friday night, to pray for those affected by this past week's mass shooting that took three lives and injured four other people.

The prayer service took place on the same spot where the seven young men were shot, in front of the Boys and Girls Clubs. They were shot as they left a basketball game, in a drive by shooting that took the lives of 17 year old Jonah Barley, 19 year old Raekwon Manigault  and 25 year old Johnny  Johnson.

The vigil was led by the United Christian Leadership Ministry, and its president, Reverend Lewis Stewart called on everyone to take responsibility and do something about this kind of violence.

"No longer, can you and I turn a blind eye, nor a deaf ear to the violence , the black on black murders engulfing our city, no longer, should we tolerate violence, and violent gang activity in our midst."

Stewart called for an ongoing process that involves education and responsibility to change a culture that could lead to this kind of violence. 

Among those volunteering at the event, Anthony Hall, of the organization Pathways to Peace. He says people in that neighborhood need each other to deal with their loss.

"Despair, they're in despair , they're very hurting right now, and they're gathering to comfort each other as much as possible."

Bruce Dunn used to live in Hilton, and now lives in Rochester, and he says that everyone in this region should feel affected by this week's violence.

"It happened to all of us , everyone who lives here and actually anyone who lives anywhere where this is going on all over the country. So, in these little small areas, we have to do whatever we can to start something to grow.”

Police are still looking for suspects in connection with Wednesday's shooting.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.