TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two hearses led a line of Corvettes from the Tallahassee Urban League to Perry Street on Friday, a rolling picture of the two paths community leaders want young people to weigh after a week of shootings in the capital city.
The gun violence prevention rally drew city and county commissioners along with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Tallahassee Police Department and the League of Women Voters of Florida. The procession left Old Bainbridge Road and ended with a prayer near the spot where 11 people were shot last Saturday after a fight on Perry Street.
Urban League President and CEO Curtis Taylor urged parents not to let children go to Perry Street or other crowded places without an adult. He noted that the person arrested in the Perry Street shooting is 15 and asked anyone who sees someone with a gun to report it.
City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox asked residents to talk with a young person about their plans for life. Shonda Knight, who leads community affairs and re-entry for the sheriff’s office, said children need to be reached early, with reading skills and resources around them. Police and deputies also repeatedly asked gun owners to stop leaving firearms in unlocked cars.
The Urban League offers a Youth Crime Prevention and Intervention program for Leon County students, with workshops for young adults and parents ages 19 to 35.
Homecoming events resume this weekend as Florida A&M hosts Southern on Saturday. Every FAMU tailgate lot on campus will shut at 8 p.m., and Tallahassee police plan more officers and brighter lighting along Perry Street.
Section: More Tallahassee FL crime news
Filed under: Tallahassee FL Public Safety News
