DETROIT – Gun violence has become the leading cause of death for children, prompting advocates to call for increased measures to ensure public safety.
Related: Spirit of Detroit turns orange for National Gun Violence Awareness Day
This urgency was palpable at the Silence the Violence rally held Saturday, June 7, where hundreds gathered to voice their concerns and support one another.
At the rally, families connected over their shared grief and aspirations for a safer future.
“Just being around people that are going through what I’m going through, it’s support,” said Deidre Battiste. “It helps.”
Battiste’s daughter, Diamond, was shot and killed at just 18 years old in 2023. Tragically, months later, Diamond’s best friend was also gunned down at a block party.
“It’s like you took her life; now we gotta live a new life and can’t see our family anymore,” Battiste said. “They were both young.”
These senseless deaths are a driving force behind the hundreds who participated in the Silence the Violence march on Detroit’s east side.
Faith leaders, elected officials, the chief of police, and members of law enforcement addressed attendees at the Church of the Messiah in Detroit. The church has hosted the Silence the Violence rally for 18 years, following the losses suffered by its members due to gun violence. While progress has been made, Detroit residents continue to plead for an end to gun violence and for individuals to put down their weapons.
