File picture. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)

A gaggle of anti-violence neighborhood activists are persevering with to hammer dwelling their message in Pontiac that shootings aren’t the best way to resolve conflicts — and invite the general public to hitch them at a particular occasion this Saturday.

“Boots on the Ground – Stop the Gun Violence” march and rally will probably be held July 15 from midday to three p.m. at Cherry Lawn Park in Pontiac. Free meals, leisure and extra will probably be supplied, and members will probably be invited to march from the park to the North Hills Farms residences, with the objective of creating the advanced a “safe zone.” The condominium advanced sees a variety of violent incidents annually, together with two homicides within the first half of 2023: the deadly shootings of 22-year-old Mari Sparks on June 20 and of 41-year outdated Donald Whitfield on Feb. 15. So far, in line with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, nobody has been charged within the slayings.

Saturday’s anti-gun violence rally and march is the eighth annual for Pontiac, and is organized by the neighborhood group Pontiac Universal Crimes.

“Pontiac Universal Crimes continues to do this from the heart because we take this gun violence in our community seriously,” mentioned Rahim Harris, PUC founder. “We know that this is not going to do away with the gun violence in Pontiac nor will our occasion forestall a person or a girl from utilizing a gun to resolve a difficulty they could have with somebody, but when we will attain one individual and encourage them to place the weapons down and let that individual reside, then we all know with that one individual now we have completed quite a bit.

“We’ve done it in the past and we will continue with ‘Boots on the Ground’,” Harris mentioned, including that the family-friendly occasion is open to everybody — not simply Pontiac residents.

“Please come out this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.,” Harris mentioned.

Cherry Lawn Park is situated off West Hopkins Street close to Cherrylawn Drive. The occasion is free, however donations are welcome through Cash App to $PUC248.