Ceasefire Halifax says 'entire community' hurt by killings

Ceasefire Halifaxis trying to stopviolent retaliation after two recent shooting deaths in the city.

"It hits very close to home when someone in your age group, or that you went to school with, is murdered or shot, and a lot of them are probably pretty upset and thinking irrationally at this point," said AmandaBradshaw,a community mobilizer withCeasefire.

"So to kind of touch base with them, make sure they're doing OK, let them know we're here if they need anything at all."

Ceasefireis a non-profit community group that tries to reduce gun violence by working directly with young people.Community members mentoryoung people onhow to peacefully resolve their differences.

The group also sends out"violence interrupters," who work Thursday through Saturday to mediate potentially violent situations.

On Sunday, Tyler Richards,a former Halifax Rainmen player, was shot and killed.

Shots rang out again Tuesday night when a 23-year-old Dartmouth man was killed and a 31-year-old Halifax man was injured on Gottingen Street. Neither man in that incident hasbeen named.

"Our outreach workers are working at sort of diminishing any chance of retaliation," said Bradshaw.

"It's hard to make those connections sometimes and get in there where you need to be if you're not already connected, but they're also trying as hard as they can."

Bradshaw said just becausepolice say the shootings are not random, it doesn't mean people aren't affected.

"You see something like this happen and you see entire communities impacted by a violent incident," she said."There are cops everywhere, there are people outside crying;it just seems like everybody is affected."

She said the people directly affected by these shootings have a long history of being marginalized and need to have their voices heard by the larger community and policy makers.

Rally tonight and Sunday

Ceasefire is holding a public rally at 7 p.m. tonight on the corner of Falkland and Gottingen streets.

There will be a second rally on Sunday at 4 p.m.,also on Gottingen Street. That rally is being organized by Quentrel Provo, the founder ofStop the Violence.