Faith leaders plead for peace

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – Faith leaders are once again calling for the end of the violence, pleading with people to put their guns down.

Tuesday they were joined by community members not only to pay tribute to fallen Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, but to pray for the safety of all law enforcement. News10NBC also attended their gathering which was led by Uniting and Healing Through Hope of Monroe County Founder Clay Harris. He says their mission is to "never give in to violence."

In the Tops parking lot on Upper Falls Boulevard, Harris gathered police from all over the area, and people who have lost family members over the years to gun violence. Harris says everyone must take a stand against systemic, and pervasive violence. He called it a plague in our city, and in states throughout the nation.

"This violence has become so acute that it is a cancer that needs to be cured," said Harris. He continued, "The violence in our local community is just not an epidemic, but it’s a pandemic."

"Last week we had 5 people that were shot in one day. One day, and 2 died, and we have to grab hold, the city is under siege, and enough is enough," said Pastor Benjamin Cox, from the Faith Leadership Roundtable.

On August 21st, faith leaders are scheduled to have a daylong spiritual revival at Frontier Field, once again calling on everyone to help stop the violence.