Several members of the Circle of Brotherhood gathered at the Miami-Dade County government building in downtown Miami Friday to bring attention to the recent increase of gun violence in our communities.
"And with the monies that are coming into the community right now from the federal level in the hundreds of millions, we just want the government to know that we're watching," said Lyle Muhammad of Circle of Brotherhood.
Others who've lost family members to gun violence were also speaking out on Friday, June 4, the National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Darlene Duke lost her daughter Lashonte Jones to gun violence last month.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
"It takes more than the police, more than the commissioners, it takes all of us. And it's not going to stop because it's like everybody is hush, hush," Duke said.
Psychiatrist Dr. Delvena Thomas knows firsthand from her patients the effects of gun violence.
"We know that gun violence occurs a lot in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, especially in low income and impoverished neighborhoods," Thomas said. "We know that gun exposure and gun violence affects a child's well being and can affect their school performance."
Local
Organizers for the anti-gun violence campaign We Are Orange say that in the U.S., more than 100 people are killed daily with guns and more than 3,000 children and teens are shot and killed yearly.
"Political egos don't need to be in the way. People who know what needs to be done on the ground need to be properly supported," Muhammed said.
