LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Members of the Little Rock Branch of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have spoken out after the city saw more than a dozen shootings last weekend.
The members stated that they are deeply disturbed by at least 15 shooting incidents that claimed the lives of three and injured several others.
According to Little Rock law enforcement, the series of shootings started around 2 p.m. Saturday and continued across the city for hours. The shootings initiated a unified command for the Little Rock Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Pulaski County Sherriff’s Office.
Local NAACP officials said that they believe the behavior is related to the economic and social injustice in their community. To help curb the violence in those communities, the members said they will work with the youth to determine other ways to handle conflict.
“The LR branch of the NAACP will widen our efforts to help with our youth programs around the city and help to rid this country and our city of the economic and social injustice that is a major cause of a lot of the violence in our city,” members of the organization stated.
Local law enforcement gave the public an arrest update Monday in two of the many shootings. Davis Jones is facing a number of charges in connection to the deadly shooting on Mabelvale Cutoff and another shooting on Markham Street and Bowman Road.
Residents have voiced their concerns on the violence in Little Rock, with some saying that they have lost hope. Others that have lost loved ones to gun violence are pushing for people to work together to stop the killings.
City leaders, law enforcement and organizations have all spoken out against gun violence in Little Rock. As of Tuesday, there have been 51 homicides in Little Rock this year.