Anti-Gun Violence Walk - News Conference

Feb. 23, 2021 – A news conference will be held Wednesday morning announcing the second Unity Walk Against Gun Violence to be held this weekend in Whitehaven.

The outdoor press conference will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday on the Washington Street side entrance to the Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar. Masks and social distancing will be required.

The walk Saturday will begin at 10 a.m. in the parking lot Hillcrest High School at 4184 Graceland Drive and will cover a route of 1.4 miles. Participants will begin assembling at 9:30 a.m.

The walk aims to bring attention to the sharp rise in gun violence in Memphis and Shelby County. Memphis Police said a record 332 homicides occurred in the city last year.

“You think of the word ceasefire and think in terms of wars, but that’s what we are calling for in Memphis, a ceasefire,” said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. “There are too many guns in the hands of people eager to use them - on anyone and for any reason. Many of those guns are stolen, so if you’re an owner with a permit, please keep your gun locked and in a safe place.”

A Unity Walk held last November in the Memphis Medical Center drew some 500 participants.

Speakers at Wednesday’s news conference will include Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland; County Mayor Lee Harris; Hazel Moore, who is often called “the Mayor of Whitehaven;” Erika Kelley of Memphis Moms Demand Action; Jerald Trotter with nonprofit Saving Absalom who appears in PSAs for the FedUp anti-gun crime campaign message “Don’t lose your head! Use your head, mane!”; and Stevie Moore of Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives.

Sponsors of the event include more than a dozen non-profit and government agencies involved in health care, social services and criminal justice.