Allen County, Indiana — Community leaders are continuing to speak out in response to the recent spate of violence in Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne.
The violence began Friday night, when one person was shot at the Coliseum while Wayne High School was holding its graduation ceremony. Later that night, a video surfaced showing a man being beaten by a group of men at Pike’s Pub.
On Sunday, just over 24 hours later, an 86-year-old woman was shot and killed in her own home on the southeast side.
In each of these cases, no arrests were made.
“No one is above the law. “No group, no individual, no affiliation, no one,” Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger stated.
Thursday, residents gathered for the Taking Our Power Back rally, which aims to “come together, take it [Fort Wayne] back, and build something better.”
“How can we expect anyone to take us seriously if we keep repeating the same cycle without having uncomfortable conversations,” Tae Chikae, a rally participant, said.
The rally began at 5:30 p.m. at Weisser Park, where people will hear a local activist and survivors of violence speak. Then, beginning at 6:30 p.m., people marched through key community locations, culminating in a moment of silence and final remarks.
