Enough! Church Takes Action Against Violence After Nearby Shooting Deaths

Michigan Chronicle › July 31, 2009

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Summary

"When I went to show the house to a buyer, there were six to eight guys sitting on the porch drinking," he continued. "I told them to get off my property. I got hit in the head and got into a fight. My windshield on my truck got broke out, and I called 911. They left. I waited for the police to come, then they came back with eight to 10 guys and broke the window out of my car. They hit me in the head with a brick. One of them pulled a gun on me, while the police (were) pulling up. I told them they had let the guy with the gun get away. I was fearful because I'm a single parent and live on the same street. If they come down here, then I would have no choice (but) to call the police first, next time. I will call them, after I call the coroner. The police sergeant told me, 'Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.'"

"We're supporting our community," said Raymonia Dale, a mother of two and church member. "It's important to show our youth that we care about our community and that we care about them. We're showing the positive aspects of the community and not just the negative. Our church is doing what it can to help our community. We're working with the government and police offices. It's not just up to the police. It's up to the community too."

"By at least seeing some presence of people coming together, the community is beginning to have hope (for) change," said [Patrick Gahagen]. "Many of them had a sense of hopelessness. Our fee.ling is that we need to start somewhere. We're starting to climb that mountain. It's a slow, gradual process that may take years to do, but we're doing it."

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Extract

Enough! Church Takes Action Against Violence After Nearby Shooting Deaths

Curious spectators gathered around two angry teens arguing loudly in the middle of Lennox Street on Detroit's east side. Tempers flared and a fight ensued among nearly 50 people with fists swinging frantically from all directions.

Gunshots rang out in the middle of the day, scattering the br...

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