A day after a drive-by shooting at Cheatham Park killed a man and injured three other people, family and community members gathered Monday to say the violence has to stop.
Little Rock police responded to the shooting in the 1900 block of East Capitol Avenue about 4:40 p.m. Sunday, according to an incident report. Devontay Allen, 22, was taken to UAMS Medical Center, where he later died, police said.
Bray'leigh Higgins, 3; Nelida Rios, 4; and Jordan McCarther, 23, were also shot.
"We have to stop. I have no life without him," said Kimberly Allen as she held a basketball, standing at the edge of the court where her son was playing when he was shot and killed. "Put the guns down ... We have to come together. Whoever did this, get on your knees and pray and I'll pray with you. Turn yourself in."
The park was full Sunday when bullets started flying, family members said. Four-year-old Nelida was shot in the hand and has been released from the hospital. But 3-year-old Bray'leigh is still at Children's Hospital in a body cast.
Those at the park Monday said the community needs to come together and advocated that the city take action to create programs for youths.
"They don't have a community center and this is one of the things we are trying to raise awareness [about]," said Jackie Smith with the Injustice for Justice Coalition. "We go to the city board meeting every Tuesday fighting for these kids and a place to put them in."
This marks the third park shooting over the past two months in Little Rock, including the killing of 10-year-old Ja'Aliyah Hughes on March 13 in Boyle Park. A man was injured in another shooting March 21 in Murray Park.
"These families are in pain. We are in pain as people, not just Black people, but as people. We are in pain," Shanelle Smith said.
The City Board of Directors will discuss an ordinance that would declare youth violence to be a crisis in the city during tonight's special meeting. City Director Doris Wright of Ward 6 proposed the ordinance and is advocating for a Youth Violence Prevention Center and research-based ways of reaching youths and young adults in the areas where shootings have been happening.
"Let's try to get a handle on this thing," Wright said. "Nobody has stepped forward with any other ideas."