Neighbors and community activists gathered in Dallas’s southern sector four days after a man was gunned down over what they say was a simple dispute. They lit candles in his memory and challenged each other to find a way to stop the violence for good. NBC 5’s Allie spillyards has more.
Just feet from the site of a murder that happened earlier this week at the Estelle Village Apartments in Dallas, frustrated neighbors gathered Saturday night.
“Pretty much it’s coming to this community with love, letting them know that despite tragic events like this, people still need love. The children out here still want to feel safe and feel cared about,” said Black Dallas founder Davante Peters.
Peters gathered with members of Community Movement Builders to hand out resources such as juice and snacks for kids, baby clothing, and diapers.
After, they held a candlelight vigil for 36-year-old Quentin Brown.
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Brown died Tuesday after he was shot in the apartment complex’s parking lots parking lot. Shortly after, Dallas Police arrested 22-year-old Alonzo Green and charged him with murder.
“It’s devastating. It’s just a regular person like me who was just in a human situation where we didn’t know how to resolve conflict without violence,” said Peters.
Several neighbors witnessed the shooting. Even more were witness to the chaos that followed.
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Kiara Bell said she’s lived in the complex for four years and that gunshots are a near-daily occurrence.
“I was saying that I was tired of jumping out of my bed while I’m asleep from gunshots. I’m sleeping. I’m in a deep sleep, and I’ve got to dive out of the bed,” she said.
Saturday’s rally is one of a growing number of events held across Dallas in recent weeks aimed at stopping violence.
In many cases, encouraging attendance has been half the battle.
Still, organizers persist in urging those who do listen that it takes everyone, especially members of impacted communities, to affect change.
“Despite our circumstances, we all play a role in what our environment looks like and what our future looks like,” said Peters.
