Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 4-1-22

Feature
Ministerial, Faith-Based Groups Unite To Tackle Gun Violence
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Tampa Stop The Gun Violence Crusade In Ragan Park
Gun violence in the City of Tampa is seemingly getting out of control. There are at least two shootings per day, many of them ending in death.
That’s why Pastors on Pa- trol President, Pastor Clarence Nathan, and Tampa Bay Coalition of Clergy President, Bishop Thomas Scott, have gath- ered faith-based organiza- tions, pastors, elected officials, community leaders and mothers of victims of gun violence, to participate in a “Tampa Stop the Gun Vio- lence Crusade.”
The outdoor event will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2022, 1 p. m. at Ragan Park. There will be free food and drinks. Safe and Sound Tampa Bay, Freddie Bar- ton, director, and Rise Up Tampa Bay will also be a part of the Crusade.
A Tampa Citywide Choir has been organized for this event, with Isaac Ruffin as the director, and Pastor Larry L. Roundtree, II, Pastor of New Mt. Zion M. B. Church, will be the Crusade Speaker.
PASTOR CLARENCE NATHAN ...President, Pastors
On Patrol
This event is personal for Pastor Nathan. Just this past Saturday (March 26th) as the women in his church were having Bible Study, gunshots rang out, frightening those in attendance. His church, New Victory Baptist, is located at 8425 N. 40th St., just a few blocks from where the shoot- ing occurred on Seward and 39th Sts. One person died.
An incident that struck to the core of the hearts of the organizers was the shooting of a 9-year-old child recently on a basketball court in Rob- les Pond by a teen. The child is expected to be OK.
The Police Dept. tells them that young people car- rying guns are as young as 12- years-old.
“We’ve reached out to some of the young men who have been charged with gun
BISHOP THOMAS SCOTT ...President, Tampa Bay Coalition of Clergy
crimes to see if we can find out what are the reasons for this gun violence. We want to know why. And, we want to talk with some of the mothers
PASTOR LARRY L. ROUNDTREE, II ...Crusade Speaker
and fathers who are victims of this violence,” he explained.
Pastor Nathan said he and the ministerial groups have met with the Mayor,
Sheriff, new Police Chief, State Attorney’s office, Public Defender’s office, Comm. Gwen Myers, and City Council members.
“We’re having all these meetings, but we need a solu- tion. We’re taking the first step for that with this cru- sade,” he said.
“There’s an epidemic in our nation, in our city and community that needs a higher level of attention. We called on the faith-based community to get involved.”
There were 48 mur- ders in the City of Tampa in 2021. To date, there have been 14 in the first three months of 2022.
FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY PAGE 9-A