Community of Pine Bluff reacts to weekend violence

PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Not 24 hours apart, five people were shot in Pine Bluff, one of them killed and community members want peace in the streets.

Beverly Vallery has lived in Pine Bluff for over 60 years, saying there is more to it than meets the eye.

“I don't live in fear, I don't get out of my car looking around,” Vallery said.

She has no intentions of leaving as it's the place she calls home.

She says there are good people in the town and aches every time she sees someone else suffering because of the violence at hand, especially when the victims are young.

“It hurts my heart for those parents that lose their children from the violence,” Vallery said.

At 16 and 17 years old, Tytiana Waddell and Armani Scaife know that violence takes place involving people their own age. They too wish it would end.

“They just need to put the guns down, and stop all the violence,” Waddell said.

“I'm worried for family members that go out and shop at these different places, I'm scared for them, I pray for them every day,” Scaife said.

Vallery says she loves Pine Bluff and wants it to stay her home forever. She hopes that the city she once knew will return.

“It breaks my heart, I want to see it go back to the way it was, and I think it will, we've got a lot of people praying for our town, we've got churches together and praying, it's going to take God,” Vallery said.

from KARK https://ift.tt/Q8BHRGz