Make wishtv.com your home page

Dozens participate in peace walk organized by 8-year-old

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Dozens of people participated in a peace walk organized by an 8-year-old on the city’s northeast side Saturday morning.

Reese Hamilton wanted to organize the peace walk after witnessing the aftermath of two homicides in his neighborhood last month.

“He’s like ‘I’m scared to go outside now and I don’t want to go outside’, you know, he just don’t feel safe where he lives, so he’s like, ‘We need to fix that’ and I said, ‘Okay, well what can we do?’ and he said, ‘Well I want to have a peace march,” his mom said.

“I just wanted to stop the violence because I was so sad and it just didn’t feel right,” Reese said.

The walk started at 30th and Gladstone, weaving through the neighborhood, and ending at 30th and Sherman.

Among those walking were several police officers, firefighters and paramedics. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett participated as well as U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler.

Several members of the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition were also in the crowd.

“We’re here today, gathered collectively as a neighborhood and community to help protect young people so that they can make good choices and good decisions and start their life in productive ways. So, I think this is an outpouring of support for not only Reese and his family but for the community as a whole,” Mayor Hogsett said.