YORK, Pa. — Residents flocked to Penn Park in downtown York on Saturday afternoon for the 8th Annual Stop the Violence event. The event comes as surging gun crimes have gripped the country in the past month.
The House of Reconciliation Church hosted the event. The church works to help provide resources to families who have lost a loved one due to gun violence.
Senior Pastor Yahaira Albarado says the event is a way to bring residents together to call for an end to gun violence in the City of York.
“Every day someone is being killed, a life is being taken," said Albarado. "But just seeing the community support us and coming and seeing families here is, to me, I feel like, ‘we already did what we wanted to do, and it’s happening right before our eyes.”
“We still have the power over our streets and over our parks. We can work together, embrace love, embrace peace, embrace unity, and stop killing one another because it’s not worth it," says Debra Martinez with Stop the Violence.
The event has grown in popularity over the years, with hundreds of people showing up to the event each year.
Debra Martinez says the event shows the ability for York residents to come together in order to raise awareness.
“Regardless of your color, regardless of your language, regardless of your nationality, we can all come together and live in peace," says Martinez.
The House of Reconciliation Church will hold another Stop the Violence event in West York this August.