Community members held a march to remember Hadiya Pendleton. (Credit: CBS)
CHICAGO (CBS) — There are calls for witness protection and presidential intervention to deal with the epidemic of youth violence in Chicago. They came during a march to honor the memory of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton.
They marched in silence from King College Prep where Hadiya Pendleton was a student to a small park on the 4400 block of South Oakenwald where she was shot to death.
Shatira Wilkes is a relative of the 15-year-old girl.
“Chicago is becoming a place where we are just becoming comfortable with death. I don’t want to become comfortable with death,” said Wilkes.
Wilkes thanked people for all the support.
“All that means nothing at the end of the day if this guy is still walking around with his gun. It means nothing. There is no way you can tell me that nobody knows anything,” said Wilkes.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson urged the president to come home and address the issue of youth violence.
“No city in America right now faces Chicago’s crisis and the weight of the president’s moral authority, and his commission, and the federal government must come to bear,” said Jackson.
And Jackson said we need witness protection so people aren’t afraid to speak out.
