INDIANAPOLIS — The third annual Indianapolis Peace Walk kicked off Friday evening with hundreds gathered at Taggart Memorial in Riverside Park on the city's west side.
It marks the start of the National Youth Violence Prevention Week.
The gathering comes as community leaders and IMPD are bracing for the summer after a wave of teen violence.
Families, community leaders and local groups came together to focus on keeping kids safe while building a stronger community.
"Our youth is crying for help," Kareem Hines, founder of New B.O.Y. Mentoring & Youth Development said. "Indianapolis is full of energy, but we lack synergy."
Lamar Davis II, Director of the Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) helped organize the event.
"We're doing this proactively," said Davis II. "We're getting the youth out here today to have fun, meet some youth-led organizations so we can start the peace, keep the peace and keep the peace going."
Youth Leader Lauren Vivo said events that focus on teens and kids can make a difference.
"Not a lot of politicians right now know what it's like to have to do a school safety drill. They don't know what it's like to have to hide against the wall, and hear someone knock on your door and try to open it. It's really important to show our perspective because we are ultimately the ones getting affected by these laws," Vivo said.
IMPD said youth deaths and shooting victims have increased this year compared to last.
"So far this year, our numbers are down, so we have 90 non-fatal shooting victims, but 20 of them have involved juveniles. That's about 22.2% of our non-fatal assault victims that are juveniles," said IMPD Chief Tanya Terry.
Vivo wants to get ahead of what could be a violent summer by planning fun events that are safe and welcome everyone.
"You're not alone. You have someone to talk to. There are adults and hotlines," she said.
The Indy Peace Walk showcased various organizations, such as Indy Peace.
Organizers said the event was about celebrating youth accomplishments and connecting them to resources.
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