With Chicago’s West Side neighborhood of Austin on pace to claim the most shootings and murders in the city of Chicago, State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, community activists and supporters poured into the streets on Saturday, in an effort to end violence in the community. “Every person affected by the thousands of incidents of gun violence in our city knows that the senseless violence needs to stop,” said Ford. “We have to build together, instead of tearing each other and our families down through all of this tension. If we can focus on building our children and community up, we have a chance for a brighter future. Let’s unite, as each of us strives to make the world a better place by first starting with the person in the mirror.”

Ford, families and friends of victims and community activists began their march through the streets of the Austin community on the corner of North Central Avenue and West Lake Street, and ended their march at Laramie and Jackson, where on Sunday, August 13, 2017, two men were killed as they were walking up the church steps to attend services at Friendship Baptist Church, which is led by Pastor Reginald E. Bachus. Austin saw the most murders in 2016 of any community area in Chicago, with 92, and also had the most total shootings in 2016, with 537, and is on pace to surpass these numbers in 2017. The aim of the march was to bring light to the amount of innocent life that is being taken in these slayings, and to call community members, elected officials and law enforcement to act to put a halt on violent crimes. Ford represents the 8th Representative District, which contains parts of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and portions of Berwyn, Brookfield, Forest Park, La Grange, La Grange Park, North Riverside and Oak Park. For more information, please contact Rep. Ford’s district office at 773-378-5902 or visit www.LaShawnFord.com.