New Effort from “Stop the Killing” Crusade After Spike in Homicides

CHARLOTTE, NC – There have been 46 homicides in Charlotte this year. Four in the last week alone.

Now familiar faces are stepping up to help fight a battle Charlotte has faced before.

“Once again, we’ve got to break that silence in the black community,” says Rev. James Barnett.

Barnett says he’s seen it before in the early 90’s, when Charlotte’s annual murder rate soared past 100 and his group “Stop the Violence” began their crusade.

“We saw the murder rate go from 129 down to 42. Now we see the murder rate beginning to increase again and a disproportionate amount of those are African-American,” Barnett says.

Saturday the group launched their newest effort with a mass unity rally at New Macedonia of Faith Church in West Charlotte.

Barnett wants to faith leaders and elected officals to step up again and to be visible and more engaged with the community.