Hundreds attend peace march on Indy's Near Northside

On Tuesday morning, a small brown home on North Harding Street was the site of pain and despair.

On Sunday, it played host to hope, love and prayer.

Hundreds of city leaders, law enforcement officials and residents fed up with violence in the streets of Indianapolis marched to the home in the 3100 block of North Harding Street where four people were found slain just days earlier.

Their goal was to send the message that violence like that has no place in the Circle City.

"It brought tears to my eyes to see this ... to see all this love in my community," said Northside resident Sharon Knight. "I've cried so much for this city, for the young people we lose. It's time to start shedding tears of joy and take our city back."

The march, organized by the Ten Point Coalition, took participants from Pilgrim Baptist Church to the home where police said 18-year-old Davon Whitlock, 32-year-old Tiara Turner, 41-year-old Terri Betties and 48-year-old Sherry Taylor were fatally shot.

Investigators said on the day of the crime that the home had been broken into and each victim had been shot multiple times. The shooting remains under investigation.

On Sunday, residents let Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Rick Hite know that he has their support. On the way to the home, they marched alongside Hite and tried to empower him with prayer.

"I'm humbled that they asked me to speak, but I come here to be a sponge. To get the strength from the mighty God that we serve," Hite said. "We're here today for those who cannot walk, who cannot talk and who cannot rise up. Every step we take, we take for those victims."

Flanked by religious leaders just moments before starting the march, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard expressed his thanks for the men and women who made the event possible. He said that coming together is key in the wake of tragedy.

"When we have the kind of incident that we had, somebody knew that was going to happen, and there are ways to prevent it," Ballard said. "There are multiple root causes to all of this, and unless we address this holistically, we can't work our way out of this."

As they walked the streets, marchers chanted "we want peace in our streets" and "stop the violence." Those leading the way sang "We Shall Overcome."

Drummers with Young Men Inc. Youth Ministry played a cadence, getting the attention of community members still inside their homes. Many of those residents stepped onto their porches to wave to the crowd and show their appreciation.

During a group prayer at the crime scene, Young Men Inc.'s founder, the Rev. Malachi Walker, asked all of the adults to reach out and place their hands on children in attendance.

"Hold onto them and don't let go, because too many of our young black (children) are being let go of now," Walker said. "I pray that these young men will rise up and understand that enough is enough ... that this crime and this violence that has impeded on our city is enough."

Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.