LINCOLN PARK — Nearly 100 photos of Chicago youth who have been killed by gun violence line the front yard of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, along with a sign encouraging passersby to “pray their names.”
The display is part of the church’s eighth annual Vigil Against Violence, a yearly observance that honors young people killed in Chicago gun violence and creates space to discuss the root causes of such violence. The vigil takes place 4-6 p.m. Sunday at the church, 600 W. Fullerton Parkway.
Although the city’s murder rate has declined this year, that’s not the case for youth. This year’s vigil honors the 94 people aged 18 or younger killed in gun violence from Oct. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, according to Rev. Beth Brown of Lincoln Park Presbyterian. That’s up 22 percent from the same time period in 2021-2022, when 77 young people were killed in gun violence, she said.
“The purpose of the vigil is to bring people together from all over Chicago to remember the youth victims of gun violence in the past year and to engage in conversation and action around the systemic injustice that ultimately leads to gun violence,” Brown said.
This year’s vigil takes on a theme of accountability, exploring how decades of a lack of police accountability in Chicago have contributed to violence, Brown said. Previous years’ vigils have focused on issues like wealth and reparations, disinvestment and community safety.
The vigil will include a panel discussion, moderated by Xavier Ramey of Justice Informed, featuring the members of the interim Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which was created last year as a civilian-led body tasked with helping strengthen police accountability in Chicago.
All seven members of the commission will be present for the discussion, she said. That includes Brown, who is a member of the commission.
“We’re going to share the work we’re doing with the police department, Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Police Board while discussing the violence we’re seeing around the city,” Brown said. “Is there any connection? Is accountability working well? And is it a reasonable expectation that ultimately violence would decrease from these accountability structures.”
Some of the board’s work includes suggesting three names for police superintendent to Mayor Brandon Johnson. The board included among its candidates Larry Snelling, who was confirmed to the role last month.
The board also played a role in dismantling the city’s gang database, which police have used to track Chicagoans they believe to be in a gang. Critics of the database have said it’s led to racial profiling, causing people to lose housing and employment opportunities.
“So, we hope with this work and the new police superintendent, violence is really going to come down, especially once Supt. Snelling is able to put his strategies into place, which obviously will take some time but could make a big difference,” Brown said.
Anyone who has lost a loved one to gun violence is encouraged to bring a photo of them to the vigil, Brown said. There will be a table with candles where people can display their pictures.
“The vigil can be hard, especially for those who have lost anyone to gun violence,” Brown said. “But we want people to know they’re invited to honor them at our vigil.”
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