Group members carry message to 16 Cincinnati neighborhoods to cease gun violence
CASE. NOW, IRONICALLY, WLWT NEWS FIVE’S ANCHOR, CURTIS COURTIS WAS WORKING ON A STORY ABOUT PEOPLE TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE TO STOP THE VIOLENCE. RIGHT BEFORE THE GUNFIRE RANG OUT THERE IN AVONDALE. AND THEN OVER THE RHINE LITERALLY HAD TO LEAVE THAT TO GO OVER HERE. HE JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM UC MEDICAL CENTER WITH WHAT HE FOUND OUT TONIGHT. HI, CURTIS. HI THERE, MIKE. AND SHARIF, FIRST UC MED CENTER IS WHERE THOSE TWO VICTIMS FROM THOSE TWO SHOOTINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, THEY WERE BROUGHT HERE. POLICE TELLING US THAT BOTH VICTIMS HAVE NON-LIFE LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. AND THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS. AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THIS EVENING, WE FOUND SOME FOLKS STANDING ON A CORNER IN CLIFTON AND THEY HAD A STRONG REALITY CHECK FOR FOLKS DRIVING BY. THEY SAID STOP THE VIOLENCE OR YOU MIGHT FIND A CASKET OUT AND AN UNDERTAKER WAITING FOR YOU. ON SOME OF THESE KIDS MIGHT NOT MAKE IT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. THEY ARE GETTING KILLED, YOUNGER AND YOUNGER. WE JUST BURIED A 15 YEAR OLD. IT’S REALLY TORE MY HEART UP. YOU KNOW, FOR THE PAST EIGHT WEEKS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE LET THEIR VOICES RING OUT WITH LEGITIMATE DISCONTENT IN 16 DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT THE SICKNESS OF VIOLENCE THAT WE SEE EVERYWHERE WE’VE BEEN IN CUMMINSVILLE, WE’VE BEEN IN FAIRMOUNT, WE’VE BEEN IN WALNUT HILLS. WE ARE IN CLIFTON RIGHT NOW. WE’VE BEEN IN DALY AND GALBRAITH. WE’VE BEEN AVONDALE, ROCKDALE AND REDDING. WE’VE BEEN SEYMOUR AND REDDING. THIS IS REAL. AND IF WE DON’T STAND UP FOR US, WHO WILL? REAL. GORDON AND WILMA HICKLIN CAME UP WITH THE IDEA AT THEIR CHURCH. CORINTHIAN BAPTIST. THEY ASKED LONGTIME FUNERAL DIRECTOR J.C. BATTLE TO JOIN THEM. WHEN HE CALLED ME TO ASK ME TO BRING THE CASKET AND THE CHARIOT, I SAID, ABSOLUTELY. WE HAD A MEETING AT THE FUNERAL HOME, WHICH COMMUNITIES WE’RE GOING TO GO THROUGH. I SAID, I’M THERE. GORDON SAYS, THEY’RE REALLY DOING THIS FOR CHILDREN LIKE HIS TEN YEAR OLD GRANDSON, MICHAEL. SOMEBODY’S GOING TO CATCH THEM. PRAYERS THAT ARE FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. SOMEBODY. AND IF WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE’RE ONE PERSON. WE’VE DONE OUR JOB. AND YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST EIGHT WEEKS, THEY HAVE DEFINITELY DONE THEIR JOB STANDING ON CORNERS, AS HE MENTIONED, ALL OVER OUR CITY, JUST ASKING PEOPLE TO STOP, TAKE NOTICE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS, SERIOUS ISSUE FOR ALL OF US. BY THE WAY, THEY TELL ME THAT ON WEDNESDAY THEY’LL DO THEIR FINAL RALLY. THEY’RE GOING TO HOLD THIS DOWN ON FOUNTAIN SQUARE. THEY’RE GOING TO BRING THAT CASKET BACK DOWN THERE. AND J.C. BATTLE WILL DRIVE HIS HEARSE. OR AS HE CALLS IT, HIS CHARIOT DOWN THERE. AGAIN, THAT THAT THEY’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR EIGHT WEEKS. IT’S BEEN PRETTY IMPRESSIVE HOW THEY’VE GONE OUT THERE AND THEY SAID THEY’VE GOTTEN SUPPORT FROM POLICE. AND AS I SAID, THEY’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. REPORTING LIVE, I’M CU
Group members carry message to 16 Cincinnati neighborhoods to cease gun violence
Up to date: 11:14 PM EDT Oct 23, 2023
For the previous eight weeks, group members have let their voices ring out with discontent in 16 completely different neighborhoods about growing violence and violent crime.“That is actual. That is actual. If we do not arise for us who will,” Gordon Hickland mentioned.Gordon Hickland and his spouse Wilma got here up with the thought at their church, Corinthian Baptist. They requested longtime funeral director James Battle to assist them with their challenge. They requested Battle to show a casket and his hearse, or as he calls it, his chariot at their cease the violence rallies. Battle mentioned he was keen to assist.“A few of these youngsters won’t make it by way of highschool. They’re getting killed youthful and youthful. We simply buried a 15-year-old. It tore my coronary heart out,” Battle mentioned.Gordon Hickland mentioned he is doing this in hopes of adjusting situations for kids like his 10-year-old grandson Michael.“Someone’s going to concentrate. If we attain one individual then we’ve executed our job,” Hickland mentioned.They plan their ultimate occasion for Wednesday within the coronary heart of the town, Fountain Sq..
For the previous eight weeks, group members have let their voices ring out with discontent in 16 completely different neighborhoods about growing violence and violent crime.
“That is actual. That is actual. If we do not arise for us who will,” Gordon Hickland mentioned.
Gordon Hickland and his spouse Wilma got here up with the thought at their church, Corinthian Baptist. They requested longtime funeral director James Battle to assist them with their challenge. They requested Battle to show a casket and his hearse, or as he calls it, his chariot at their cease the violence rallies. Battle mentioned he was keen to assist.
“A few of these youngsters won’t make it by way of highschool. They’re getting killed youthful and youthful. We simply buried a 15-year-old. It tore my coronary heart out,” Battle mentioned.
Gordon Hickland mentioned he is doing this in hopes of adjusting situations for kids like his 10-year-old grandson Michael.
“Someone’s going to concentrate. If we attain one individual then we’ve executed our job,” Hickland mentioned.
They plan their ultimate occasion for Wednesday within the coronary heart of the town, Fountain Sq..
