Residents to hold peace march amid rash of violence in Chicago's Little Village community
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Residents of the Little Village neighborhood are fighting back against violence with peace.
This weekend, the residents are set to hold a march to stand up against crime they say is taking a toll on their community. The organizers are seeking to take back their neighborhood.
Amid the vibrancy of the 26th Street business corridor in Little Village, a memorial of devotional candles and flowers stands as a dark reminder of the violence the residents say they face.
On Monday afternoon, 25-year-old Christian Covarrubias was shot and killed outside a bakery on 26th Street right off Sawyer Avenue. The shooting happened in broad daylight.
Chicago Police said no one was in custody in the shooting that killed Covarrubias as of late Thursday.
Just a day prior, a teen was shot and killed in a separate shooting. And even on Thursday, in Brighton Park just the other side of the Sanitary and Ship Canal from Little Village, two men were seriously injured by gunfire.
"For the past month or so, there's been shootings every week - and now it's during the daytime," said Baltazar Enriquez, president of the Little Village Community Council. "We are very concerned because people are shopping; people are taking their kids to school. We have tourists that come and visit Little Village."
Enriquez said some business owners have even begun closing their shops earlier than usual in response to the violence.
"Usually close at 8 - now they're closing at 6, 7," said Enriquez.
Following the shooting Monday, Enriquez met with fellow community activists like Kristian Armendariz to decide how to address the wave of crime. On Saturday, they will be holding a peace rally – marching along 26th Street.
"The message we want to send out is, do not let the violence take over our community; our business corridor," Armendariz said, "because at the end of the day, this is what makes our community vibrant and alive."
CBS 2 News data show three homicides in Little Village so far this year – a figure up by one compared with the same time last year. Robberies, however, have almost doubled year after year.
Last year in total, there were 317 robberies – up from 198 in 2022.
"We're not going to find an answer right away, but we can start," said Enriquez.
Enriquez said the peace march is a way to take a stand.
"To show the community that hey, there's these violence acts, but there's also good people like us," he said. "There's also people that care about the neighborhood."
The peace march will take place Saturday starting at 1 p.m. The Little Village Community Council says it is inviting business owners, street vendors, residents, and local churches to take part.
