Teens organize peace walk at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — A group of local teens has organized a community peace walk to commemorate National Youth Violence Prevention Week. 

The walk will begin at 2 p.m. April 27 at the Landmark for Peace Memorial in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.  

The event is the result of a collaboration between several local violence prevention organizations, including Hoosiers Concerned about Gun Violence, Marion County Youth Violence Prevention Coalition and the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council. 

“Instead of each of our organizations hosting our own events and our own lectures or talks that people might lose interest in, it’s best to have one event during the whole National Youth Violence Prevention Week, where all of these organizations are coming together,” said Salsabil Qaddoura, a member the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council and junior at North Central High School. 

Qaddoura said she thinks gun violence is a concern for many students.

“We’ve seen mass shootings happening, people have had suicides in their lives,” Qaddoura said. “Nearly everyone now knows somebody who experienced gun violence. So the fear that comes with that is a lot more.”

Qaddoura hopes the peace walk will inspire other young people to get involved with violence prevention. 

[Indy Peace Leaders teach local youths about navigating gun violence.]

“I feel like we often see adults leading the conversations on things, which isn’t always a bad thing,” she said. “But when you see someone your age doing something like this, it motivates you more.

The event will kick off with youth speakers and feature resource tables from violence prevention organizations. Free gun lock boxes also will be distributed at the event. 

Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian.