AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/gun-violence/)
West Side community leaders, elected officials and relatives who’ve lost loved ones rallied at the Green Line Central station Saturday before marching to Laramie and Jackson, where two men were killed earlier this month on the steps of Friendship Baptist Church.
State Rep. Camille Lilly and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx are hosting the Aug. 5 event from 10 a.m. to noon at the Austin Public Library, 5615 West Race. They will lead a discussion on gun violence and policing.
Saturday’s event at Hope Community Church netted 65 firearms. So far this year, 458 weapons have been collected in this way by the Chicago Police Department.
Solutions to unemployment, gun violence, poverty spark intense debate at town hall convened by Congressman Danny Davis.
Audience members, who included several elected officials, lamented the police shootings last week in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas.
Nearly 30 people have been killed in Austin so far this year and dozens of others have been shot.
New Ald. Chris Taliaferro says that kind of citizen input will have to wait for next year’s budget.
Many who attended the June 13 meeting agreed with Commissioner Richard Boykin’s plan to enforce the curfew law and get weapons off the streets, but some objected to his idea to charge defendants as domestic terrorists.
Residents shared their experiences at the event organized by Richard Boykin. Another meeting will take place June 13.
West Side residents and elected officials gathered Saturday to discuss combating gun violence.