SPRINGDALE -- Flanked by a police escort, a cavalcade of residents and community activists marched Saturday through a Springdale neighborhood marred by gang violence demanding peace and a safe community.
Led by organizer Irvin Camacho, participants in the second annual Springdale Peace Walk rallied against gang violence and waved signs with anti-bullying slogans as they walked along Applegate Drive, an area of town where two Springdale teens were fatally shot last year.
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Originally scheduled for April, the event was moved up after another violent homicide in January and the suicides of two teenage girls, Camacho said.
"The community needs this and we're able to heal together," Camacho said, estimating a turnout well into the hundreds. "I know how it feels to lose a relative and sometimes you don't want to be around people," but coming together "shows our strength."
Eliazar Torres, 21, died Jan. 12 from stab wounds suffered during a fight at Scottish Inn & Suites in Springdale. The two girls, age 12 and 14, were students in the Springdale Public School District, according to spokesman Rick Schaeffer. One attended Southwest Junior High School, while another attended Hellstern Middle School.
Torres' aunt, Mayela Hernandez, doesn't believe her nephew was in a gang but thinks the fight may have involved gang members.
The two teenage girls are believed to have been victims of bullying.
Springdale police officers since Jan. 1 have responded to 43 calls and filed 20 reports related to suicide, from calls for residents with thoughts of suicide to those who attempted or completed suicide, said Lt. Derek Wright, spokesman for the Springdale Police Department, in an email. Wright wouldn't comment on the cases involving the two teens.
"When it comes to bullying, awareness is key," Wright said Saturday. "We encourage everyone to stand up and treat others with the same respect they would like to be treated with. If you see someone being bullied, say something and report it. We need to stand up for each other.
Before the march began, white balloons symbolizing victims of violence were released from an open field at Luther George Grove Street Park. Pastor Marcus Carruthers of Dwelling Place Church in Fayetteville followed with an opening sermon urging unity in spite of the recent tragedies.
"We have a great city and what makes it great is the people," Carruthers said. "So let's be committed to walk in peace, help each other, lift each other and not let each other down."
After a somber start, the crowd formed a line and marched toward Spring Creek. While Camacho led a chant from the front of the procession, members of Comparaza Morelenses Unidos En Arkansas dressed in lavish costumes performed a traditional Mexican folk dance to the throbbing beat of a loudspeaker.
Once the walk departed the Razorback Greenway and began heading south on Park Street, curious residents peeked through curtains or stood on their front porch to watch.
The march moved further south on Applegate Drive through the Springdale Housing Authority before looping back to the park. Back at the pavilion, Jim Rollins, superintendent of Springdale Public Schools, told the crowd that a strong community can stand against bullying.
"We have almost 23,000 children in our school system who have come from all over the world," Rollins said. "It is a privilege to serve them. But we need to come together to give hope to everyone. They need all of us."
Something as simple as a smile or encouragement can boost a student's morale, Rollins said.
According to the Center for Disease Control, Hispanic teens in grades 9-12 in 2015 who considered or attempted suicide was higher than white and black students.
But symptoms of suicide are difficult to identify, according to Martha Gonzalez, a licensed professional counselor at Wellspring Healthcare Associates in Rogers.
"Depression is very common and when we haven't suffered from it we tend to minimize the signs," she said. "Depression doesn't cause suicide but we have to keep our eyes and hears open to the mental health signs of our children."
Gonzalez, along with other advocates for mental health, urged parents to look for sudden changes in their child's behavior, becoming withdrawn from activities or pushing away from friends.
NW News on 02/21/2016