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St. Paul Community Rallies Against Gun Violence

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As an officer-involved shooting occurred Sunday night, a previously-planned rally against gun violence was going on. Community members and business owners stood in solidarity with affected by these recent shootings.

As people enjoyed another Sunday of football inside Tin Cups in St. Paul, a crowd gathered outside the restaurant -- more concerned not with the score of a game but with the number of lives lost or touched by gun violence.

"It's infuriating. It's sad. It's disgusting," said Gidget Bailey, owner of Tin Cups -- not far from where a man was shot in broad daylight earlier this month.

"It's a sad situation when you hear people say that they want to move," Bailey said. "Or they don't let their children go outside and play anymore."

Her concern is why she offered to host the rally, which was organized by city council candidate Alexander Bourne.

"I had my own personal friend whose son was gunned down about two weeks ago here in the city of St. Paul," Bourne said.

He shared his story -- as did others -- as to how these violent crimes have affected their lives. They also shared solutions, such as adding more police officers and investing in youth outreach programs.

"First and foremost, it's disheartening," Bourne said. "But I think more importantly it's just amazing to see how people have rallied around this particular topic."

 

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