NJ AG Gurbir Grewal, Kaleem Shabazz Host Atlantic City Peace Walk
Photo courtesy of the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General.
Clyde Hughes | AC Joseph Media
ATLANTIC CITY — New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Atlantic City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz will lead a “Community Walk for a Summer of Peace” at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13.
Atlantic City, like many urban centers in the country, has been rocked by gun violence this year, particularly among young people. The walk will begin in the 1700 block of Atlantic Avenue, the site of a Father’s Day mass shooting on June 20.
Prayers will be led by Rabbi David Weis, of the Congregation of Beth Israel in Northfield; Bishop R. Fulton Hargrove II, president of the Fellowship of Churches of Atlantic City and Vicinity; and Imam Amin Muhammad, of Masjid Muhammad of Atlantic City will lead prayers during the walk.
Shabazz told Front Runner New Jersey that the Atlantic City Branch NAACP, the Coalition for a Safe Community, and WEHA Radio are all partners in the event.
A 23-year-old man was killed and three injured in the early evening shooting on June 20 in just the latest incident of gun violence involving young people in the region.
“This is a cooperative, ongoing investigation between the [Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office] Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department,” said a statement from Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner.
Atlantic City native and nationally-known campaign organizer Stephenine Dixon called for an end to Atlantic City violence last month on social media after her grandson, Samir Ross, 19, died in a similar daylight shooting on Atlantic City streets on June 7.
In Ross’s case, two other women were shot and injured in the unprovoked incident.
“You can’t wear or preach Black Lives Matter, when its constantly Black lives being shot across our city, by Black youths vs. Black youths,” said Dixon who has worked with such candidates like Stacey Abrams, Pete Buttigieg and most recently Maya Wiley for New York mayor.
“I had to watch our families lay Samir to rest at 19 years old and to see so many youths at his funeral was so heartbreaking. To hear no sooner than I walked in my door from watching Samir go in the ground, that a couple of youths were shot is just unimaginable,” she continued.
“Parents, I have seen what it looks like to see your child shot and I have witnessed the pain of losing a grandson to senseless gun violence and it’s a pain you don’t want for anyone. Black sons matter, so now is the time to sit them down and let them know their lives matter and if they need help to redirect them to the right path, we’ll do what’s necessary to get in front of it,” Dixon added.
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