BEECH GROVE — City officials, along with residents, in Beech Grove held a peace walk to promote the stop of gun violence in Indianapolis communities.
This is the second peace walk the city has orchestrated. Officials say the walk was needed more than ever today.
“The violence that we are all witnessing is out of control,” Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley said. “We are pleading with those watching to put down the guns and resolve your conflicts by talking through it.”
Residents from Beech Grove came together with the Beech Grove Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Department, elected city officials and more to walk the Sarah T. Bolton Trail.
Elected officials say in order for gun violence numbers to go down, communities need to realize that each person plays a role in stopping it.
“Everyone needs to understand that to have a systemic change, it’s going to take everybody,” Jon Broadwell, candidate for Beech Grove Common Council District 5, said. “Whether it’s your pastors, mental health counselors, city council people, parents or teachers. Everybody has something they can contribute to either solve violent problems in the short term or help prevent violent problems in the long term.”
And while community members also play a role in the stoppage of violence, police officers at the walk acknowledged they play just as big of a role.
“Before you win the peace, you have to win the war. I’m not saying we’re at war, but I’m saying we have to hold the people we arrest accountable,” Beech Grove Deputy Police Chief Robert Mercuri said. “We have to make it so that witnesses want to come forward and tell us what happened. How confident are they going to be if in 24 to 48 hours later, that same person is back in their neighborhood?”
Mercuri says community outreach is important in tackling the violence. He hopes events like the peace walk can put a spotlight on the issue.
Individuals who have been affected by gun violence also spoke at the walk, including Tammy and Jeff Blackwell, the parents of Samaria Blackwell.
Samaria was a 19-year-old from Beech Grove who was killed during the FedEx mass shooting in 2021. Tammy and Jeff say their faith is the only reason they’ve made it through the tragedy that hit their family.
“We’re not here to make a statement or do anything other than say we need to be involved. We need to know who our neighbors are and we need to love. Samaria loved a lot, and it’s in her memory that we are here today,” Jeff said.
