March calls for end to ‘epidemic’ of youth gun violence
Community members and activists marched Saturday on the city’s northeast side to call for an end to youth gun violence.
The demonstration, led by the crime-fighting Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition, was organized in response to the death of Malaysia Robson.
The 1-year-old was killed early Thursday morning in a drive-by shooting at her family’s home in the 3500 block of North Wittfield Street, officials said.
The unsolved homicide triggered an outpouring of emotion across the city. Local leaders and authorities have joined the push for change, calling the shooting “senseless,” “tragic” and a wake-up call for people in every community “to begin caring.”
“People talk about the heroin epidemic, but this [violence] is a disease,” Ten Point leader Darryl Jones told 24-Hour News 8. “Young men are killing each other. This is an epidemic to me.”
He and other coalition members led demonstrators down Post Road and onto North Wittfield Street, stopping at the scene of Thursday morning’s shooting.
The crowd of more than a hundred chanted “Enough is enough!” and “Stop the violence! Stop the violence!” as they marched, sometimes stopping to pray or sing.
“When I was growing up, we’d fight with fists and be through with it and be friends again,” said Marcia Williams, whose daughter was Malaysia’s godmother. “I loved (Malaysia) dearly…. Hold your kids. You never know what’s going to happen the next day.”
