ATLANTA — Members of the Atlanta faith community came together Monday to call for an end to gun violence. Their stance comes after two children were killed in a shooting near Atlantic Station– with police still working to make arrests.
“You can not have common scene gun legislation if the governor is giving us a constitutional carry law, " said Shanan Jones, President of Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta.
Jones was among the members of the faith community who gathered with representatives from 12-year-old Zyion Charles' family, to call for an end to gun violence. Zyion is one of two children killed in a shooting near Atlantic Station a week ago.
While police are still searching for the suspects – and haven't said whether they've recovered the weapons used. The group is coming together to call for the state to reconsider its new constitutional carry gun law.
“We’re calling for this repeal of the law, because if it’s true that an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind then it’s true that a gun for a gun leads to gun violence epidemic and leads to everybody being dead," Rev. Timothy McDonald said.
The group said they're concerned the law could increase the number of guns on the street and that those weapons could end up in young people's hands. They're also calling on faith leaders and the community to come together to create more programs to reach children including getting them jobs.
“We have to remain vigilant through jobs training – that’s one avenue... labor unions can provide training in the trades and various outlets that we have available so we must work with the community and with faith to not only talk about it but to be about it,” said Sandra Williams, the executive director of the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council.
The group also announced a march against violence and for gun law reform. It'll be held Saturday after Zyion's funeral, as they march from the church to the Capitol.