Church Honors Baltimore Murder Victims With Concert
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — In times of pain, a local church is using music to heal the soul.
This is the remedy First and Franklin Presbyterian used Sunday to honor all those who were murdered in Baltimore in 2018.
"The moment I found out is when I heard gunshots, I rushed to my niece's car and was trying to see where she was shot," One woman said.
Among the participants were family members who lost loved ones.
"The moment I found my son Justin Antonio Williams Harrison was murdered...I felt lost and empty," A mother at the event said.
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Hundreds of purple ribbons were seen at the event, for the 309 murdered last year.
Organizers want to remember the names and faces of the victims of Baltimore's crime as more than just a number.
"Young people mostly smiling, almost all people of color, and yet here they are and they are a stark reminder of what we have lost," said Robert Hoch, pastor of First Presbyterian Church.
Concert admission was $10, but some think it was a small price to pay as the city tries to heal.
"Music is the unifier, it spans income it spans nationalities it spans income it spans nationalists geographic boundaries," said Scot Spencer, member of First & Franklin.
Organizers are planning a walk from their church to police headquarters this coming Saturday. The plan is to hand over those purple ribbons to the commissioner as they remember murder victims.
The march will begin at 12 p.m. Saturday March 30 at the First & Franklin Presbyterian Church.
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