TOLEDO, Ohio — Thoughts, prayers and songs were heard outside the One Government Center on Sunday as ministers and the community came together against gun violence.
The event took place at 5 p.m. and was held by faith-based community members in The Acts 2 Fellowship Group.
Minister Antoinette Goodloe who is a part of the group wanted to put the event together outside the government center in downtown Toledo because she said it is where decisions are made in situations like this.
Goodloe said all the violence in the media was heartbreaking for her to see and it helped spark her vision for the event that gave a prayer for everyone.
"[We're] praying for families, praying for the women, the men, the youth. We wanted to lift them up and we wanted to put our support in prayer," she said.
Speakers came up to pray for their respective groups and for an end to gun violence.
Goodloe is a parent herself and said to target the violence, we need to get to the root of it, which she said is within the family.
"Parents we need to be accountable, we need to take responsibility, and we need to deal with our children, hold them close, bring them in, give them some guidance," she said.
This year there have been 33 homicides in Toledo so far with 28 of them pertaining to gun violence. In 2021, there were 62 deaths resulting from gun violence.
Goodloe said this is just the beginning for her and The Acts 2 Fellowship group. Their next event will be in September at Smith Park.