{"id":236191,"date":"2026-04-17T21:51:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/236191\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T21:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:51:06","slug":"tallahassee-urban-league-hosts-gun-violence-prevention-event-calls-on-community-to-speak-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/236191\/","title":{"rendered":"Tallahassee Urban League hosts gun violence prevention event, calls on community to speak up"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Leaders with the Tallahassee Urban League<\/a> held a gun violence prevention event on Friday, marking one year since the deadly FSU shooting<\/a>, while addressing recent violence across the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to stop the violence that\u2019s in the community because it\u2019s spreading abroad, and we need to actually speak to the young people about the guns,\u201d Pastor Sonji Robinson said.<\/p>\n

The event brought together community members and law enforcement to discuss how to fight gun violence. <\/p>\n

According to Tallahassee Urban League President and CEO Curtis Taylor, the city has seen 20 shootings so far this year, killing seven people and injuring 15 more.<\/p>\n

He says community involvement, especially from young people, is critical.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe missing piece is our citizens, it\u2019s you, our young people, you know everything that\u2019s going on on campus, and everything that\u2019s going on in your community, but you refuse to say anything, and so what we are saying today, if you don\u2019t say anything, you\u2019re a part of the problem,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n

More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n

Law enforcement from across the city and county attended in support. Tallahassee Police Deputy Chief Maurice Holmes says gun violence is the number one issue they are dealing with right now.<\/p>\n

Holmes says 28 guns have been stolen from cars so far this year, 25 of them from unlocked vehicles, contributing directly to crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, when we find someone, maybe someone wasn\u2019t shot, maybe they were just carrying illegally, that gun has come from an unlocked vehicle, that gun is stolen, that gun is illegally possessed,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cIt\u2019s frustrating because you know it\u2019s something that can be so easily corrected. It\u2019s called responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holmes says they\u2019re urging people to take responsibility for gun safety, starting with simple steps like locking car doors. He says stopping gun violence takes everyone getting involved.<\/p>\n

After the press conference, the Urban League\u2019s newly formed young professionals group marched with signs down to Orange Avenue, hoping to reach people driving by.<\/p>\n

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