Hadiya Pendleton: community asks witnesses to come forward
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By Tisha Lewis, FOX 32 News reporter - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
A heart-wrenching plea to the person protecting a killer came from the family of Hadiya Pendleton.
"It really bothers me to know that whoever this person lives with, whoever is hiding this person, whoever is shielding them and ensuring that they're eating every day, what kind of person are you," said Pendleton's cousin Shatira Wilks.
Surrounded by faith-based and community leaders, Wilks appeared with Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. at the Rainbow Push Coalition's headquarters. Wilks urged witnesses to come forward.
"Don't be afraid. You know your child, you know your cousin, you know your friend, you know your relative, you know who's done this. All they're going to do is do something else to somebody else's child… Chicago is becoming a place where we're just becoming comfortable with death. I don't want to become comfortable with death," said Wilks.
"Give us everything we need, father God, while down here on earth, so we can make a difference to be able to stop the violence," prayed Jolinda Wade.
In the North Kenwood neighborhood, NBA superstar Dwyane Wade's mother Pastor Jolinda Wade led a prayer for Pendleton as dozens marched in memory of the King College Prep sophomore who wanted to make a difference in the world. Led by Reverend Jackson, the crowd gathered at Harsh Park where the 15 year old was shot.
"There's a binding fear because of lack of witness protection, that must be a dimension of it. I'm rather convinced that the federal government must intervene," said Reverend Jackson.
Jackson says adequate witness protection, targeted jobs and a plan to stop the flow of guns and drugs are needed. He's calling on presidential intervention.
"This is about less than a mile from the President's house, it's about six blocks from the school where Hadiya attended and so the whole world is now watching us. We urge the President to consider coming here that it might illuminate this darkness," said Jackson.
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