Black ministers call for an end to violence after Peachtree Mall shootings

A group of black ministers stood in a circle at Shirley Winston Park on Monday praying for an end to violence that’s wreaking havoc on the community.

The Rev. Ralph Huling, president of the Columbus Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, said shootings at Peachtree Mall and other recent incidents are an indication that the community is in crisis. He said it’s time for spiritual leaders to step up and address the issue.

“We’ve got to realize that anarchy and uncivilized behavior in our community is unacceptable,” Huling said, surrounded by other ministers from local churches and the Nation of Islam. “We do not condone violence, killing one another. And so we are making an appeal today for young people to leave their weapons at home, leave their weapons in places where they perhaps need to be, but let’s stop killing. Let’s stop hurting one another. Let’s stop having mothers to grieve over having to bury their children because of our senselessness and our carelessness.”

The comments were made at a news conference held at the park located at 5025 Steam Mill Road, where about 10 spiritual leaders showed up in solidarity. Others who spoke at the event included the Rev. Felicia Holmes, pastor of Faith Tabernacle; Minister Stephen Muhammad, local representative for the Nation of Islam; the Rev. Richard Jessie, of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and Brother Dominique X, an assistant student minister with the Nation of Islam.

They said the recent mall shootings should be a wake-up call to the community.

On Saturday, Anthony Meredith, 24, died after being shot multiple times at Peachtree Mall, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan. The shooting is the third report of gunfire at the shopping mall in more than a month. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the back on March 4 in an apparent dispute. Police also investigated an apparent gunshot fired into the floor a week before. Police believe a gun discharged in the pocket of a shopper.

Dominique X said the community needs a day of atonement to bring people together in true love for one another.

“We’re functioning on self-hate that’s killing, and plaguing, and spilling into each other’s households,” he said. “We’re doing all these rallies but we’re not really going to the ones that are really disturbed and distraught. We’re not going to our youths to get involved with them. … We’re not seeing what’s really going on.”

Holmes said adults need to pay more attention to what youths around them are saying and doing, and intervene when necessary.

Huling said the group will be working on strategies to help parents, court officials and law enforcement fight crime by connecting with youth and showing them a better way.

“We also want people to know that this is not normal behavior,” Huling said. “Normal people don’t get up every day and take a weapon to the mall. Normal people don’t wake up every day and take a weapon everywhere they go. These are abnormal behaviors. And we, as pastors, we’re calling back for a time of normalcy.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Black ministers call for an end to violence after Peachtree Mall shootings."