Fort Pierce residents take stand against gun violence, simulate shooting
By Ethan Stein
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FORT PIERCE, Florida (WPTV) — Tombstones, body bags and police tape were used to simulate a crime scene in Fort Pierce on Sunday to demonstrate against gun violence.
Children wearing makeup created fake bullet wounds while “angels of death” ran around part of an empty lot.
The simulation was organized by Block Builders Community Action, a nonprofit group created after a mass shooting last year at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in Fort Pierce. This shooting occurred across the street from a May crime scene in northwest Fort Pierce.
Nikittia White speaks about the gun violence problem facing Fort Pierce.
About six shootings have occurred in northwest Fort Pierce over the last three weeks, which killed at least three people and injured about six people.
About 100 people attended this weekend’s event, which featured various pastors and at least one city commissioner. Some of those attendees attended a meeting last week hosted by Pastor Anthony Sanders at High Vow Ministries where people discussed strategies to solve gun violence.
Fort Pierce City Commissioner Arnold Gaines speaks about gun violence during a recent meeting.
Nikittia White, who lost her daughter to gun violence in the Martin Luther King Jr. parade, said she organized the event because the community needs to see the issues with gun violence. She said it’s a “big” problem that needs a solution.
“I don’t think they (city officials) think it’s a big problem,” White said. “I don’t. Not as big as it is. They need to do more. They can do more if they wanted to do more.”
She said it’s frustrating city officials don’t do more to stop gun violence in Fort Pierce, which multiple people described as a perpetual problem in the city.
Multiple city council members said it didn’t know the solution to gun violence at the last city council meeting, which led to WPTV finding solutions and NewsChannel 5 reporter Kate Hussey connecting the city’s mayor and nonprofit on Zoom.
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