MIAMI (WSVN) - Students from Northwestern High School organized a Tuesday morning walkout days after one of their classmates was shot and killed in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood.
Dozens of students walked out of their classrooms following the Sunday shooting that claimed the lives of two people and injured two others. One of the victims that died was 17-year-old Kimson Green, a 10th grader at Northwestern High.
Students were seen climbing on rooftops and held hands in the streets as they chanted for change.
“We’ve got to stand together. We’ve got to come together,” shouted protester Dacha Lane as she held a sign that reads “Stop the violence” with Green’s photo.
Students were seen marching with signs and balloons, saying they’re tired of the gun violence in their neighborhoods.
“We need to do something to make the community better,” said student Tiara Evans. “It don’t make no sense how our young generation is dying.”
“Because there’s more of us dying than us graduating from our school, and that’s just unbelievable, how every day we have to come to the school, and it’s another sad case,” said student Kiamoni Witter. “It’s another story that one of our students getting killed every day.”
The demonstrators eventually made their way to the scene of the shooting near Northwest 63rd Street and 13th Place.
Green was an honor student and was going to be inducted into the National Honor Society.
The other deceased victim was identified as 18-year-old Rickey Dixon. One of the injured victims is a senior at Miami Northwestern.
“Every day we’re losing one of our classmates or somebody in our youth,” said student Chanelle Taylor.
After this latest shooting, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County launched Operation Blue and Brown, a joint effort aiming to put more officers on the streets of Liberty City.
Tuesday afternoon, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez returned to the scene of Sunday’s shooting.
“We have an obligation to keep the people here safe, and I’m going to work nonstop until we fulfill that obligation.” he said.
Local leaders are talking about another obligation — that of the parents in this community.
“We’re going to make sure that they get involved in this,” said Miami-Dade Public Schools Board member Dorothy Bendross-Mindigall. “We can’t save them by ourselves.”
Anti-violence advocate Tangela Sears said the community needs to support these students who are trying to make a difference. “I just would like to see more adults and more leaders support them.”
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., said Tuesday’s walkout is part of a larger movement for change. “We’re moving right along with Parkland, listening to the children and how they’re going to solve this inner-city gang shooting gun problem,” she said.
Meanwhile, students who took part in the walkout said they’ve had enough of the violence.
“I shouldn’t have to watch my back. I shouldn’t have to sit here and worry about my little brother’s life,” Lane said.
Miami Northwestern Principal Wallace Aistide spoke on Monday morning and said, “Today is a very tragic day for us here at Miami Northwestern. One of our students that we were so proud of, that we lost, was truly unfortunate incident that transpired in our community.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez also released a statement, saying the county is hosting an event called “Calling All Men: Stand Against Violence,” aimed at working with members of the community to build leaders in the fight against violence.
The injured victims remain at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Friends told 7News both of them underwent surgery on Tuesday.
The shooter or shooters responsible for Sunday’s incident remain at large.
If you have any information on the shooting, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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