A recent uptick in violent crime in South Bend as summer heats up prompted city, faith and anti-violence leaders to call for peace at a press conference Wednesday downtown.
They gathered at the corner of Jefferson and Michigan streets in front of the giant I Heart South Bend sign. Lynn Coleman said he hastily organized the event in less than 24 hours.
“We had two people shot at Keller Park late Saturday night, early Sunday morning," Coleman said, "two more people shot Sunday night at Boland Park, young ladies stabbed and cut over on Lincoln Way late Saturday night, and just yesterday a young man cut over by the river, and it just hit me that there’s far too much of it going on.”
South Bend-based Pastor Jonathan R. Miller, who goes by Pastor YPJ and has over 500,000 Facebook followers, said faith leaders must walk a fine line between maintaining their churches and reaching out to young adults with problems on the streets.
“Often times there is accusation against clergy," Miller said. "Where are the pastors? We’re planted in our churches, in our communities, for a reason so that you know where we are. Often times we don’t know where you are. So the accusations against leadership are, I feel, invalid in that we are consistent in our location because we care about your children, we care about your families, and we want you to come see us.”
Speakers urged parents not to let their kids keep guns. Coleman, representing the nonprofit he founded called Let’s Turn It Around!, said he’ll continue working with other anti-violence groups hoping to keep violence down this summer.
