More than 100 people gathered Wednesday afternoon at Allegheny Center Alliance Church on Pittsburgh’s North Side to pray for peace and call for an end to gun violence.
The gathering came just three days after a deadly shooting at a nearby Airbnb rental property left two 17-year-old boys dead and nine other people wounded.
“I’m deeply saddened that we need to come together for a meeting like this,” said the Rev. Blaine Workman, pastor at Allegheny Center Alliance Church.
Several in attendance spoke about the need to better support the city’s young people and steer them away from violence.
“We need to create a space where kids can be kids and we need to realize that, as adults, we play a role in that,” said Loleda Moman, who helped organize Wednesday’s event. “We need to model the way.”
Imani Chisom, who works with the church’s young people, advocated for creating a forum where churches and youth organizations around the city can collaborate and spread the word about the events and resources they offer.
Allegheny County Councilwoman Olivia Bennett similarly called for proactive measures to prevent violence before it occurs, rather than reacting after lives have been lost.
Cecelia Ware, who launched the nonprofit Infinite Lifestyle Solutions that aims to support victims of violent crime and prevent violence, said she feels there’s nowhere for Pittsburgh children to go and feel safe.
Her son was shot in 2016, playing basketball in a local park. Ware said her brother was shot in the 1990s, and multiple cousins and nephews also have been shot, some fatally.
Her 16-year-old son had asked her for permission to attend the party at the Airbnb where gunfire erupted over the weekend.
“Thank God I told him no,” she said.
The group gathered at the church walked from there to the Airbnb unit at Suismon Street and Madison Avenue. Some people quietly prayed as they marched, while others hollered out to people passing by, asking them to pray for the community.
Outside the Airbnb property, broken glass remained on the street and sidewalk and bullet holes were visible in the house. The group stopped to pray together, read Scripture and observe a moment of silence.
