A vigil against gun violence was held at Tulsa's Vernon AME Church last night.
The gathering came after the city on Wednesday passed a Thursday-through-Friday curfew for people 17 and under in the downtown area. The move is in answer to a spate of shootings involving youth, including the killing of one at Greenwood's Juneteenth festival.
"I’ve been a pastor for 39 years, and I never thought, on the steps of my church I would have to take cover from bullets flying overhead," said Vernon AME Rev. Keith Mayes at the vigil.
After Mayes spoke, Mayor Monroe Nichols said the creation of his his Office of Children, Youth and Families is important in light of the shooting.
"It’s not just important because we want kids to get better outcomes in school, which we do. But it’s important that we have to expand opportunities for young folks, and they understand that your value is not held by a piece of steel that you hold in your hand," Nichols said.
Nichols was followed by Democratic state Rep. Ron Stewart. Stewart said Oklahomans shouldn’t rely on the state legislature to tighten gun laws because it is fervently pro-gun.
Stewart instead said the answer is in the hands of the community.
"We can’t allow ourselves to be afraid of our own children. But as parents, we cannot get angry when another adult corrects the behavior of our children," Stewart said.
Stewart also encouraged the crowd to engage and respect young people to keep them from turning to violence.
