KC churches push for murder-free Independence Day weekend

Kansas City, Missouri, heads into the Fourth of July weekend with 97 homicides already for 2020, and the city is bracing for more.

One group is working to provide alternatives to violence.

KANSAS CITY HEADS INTOTHE FOURTH OF JULYWEEKEND WITH 97HOMICIDES ALREADY FORTHE YEAR, AND THE CITY ISBRACING FOR MORE.LAST YEAR, THE FRIDAYTHROUGH TUESDAYIMMEDIATELY FOLLOWINGTHE FOURTH OF JULY SAWSEVEN HOMICIDES INKCMO.THIS YEAR, THERE'SPUSH TO MAKE THEFOURTH OF JULY AMURDER-FREE WEEKEND.I SPOKE TO ONE OF THEPASTORS BEHIND THEEFFORT.FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE2015, THE FOURTH OF JULYFALLS ON A SATURDAY,BUT AS WITH EVERY YEARTHERE'S REAL FEAR THATIT COULD BE DEADLY.BUT THE PUSH FOR AMURDER-FREE WEEKENDIN KANSAS CITY ISSPREADING ONLINE.Pastor MarvinKirkwood/ContagiousLife Church0:18"Our goal and our focus is tis to help people is to providean alternative.

We're givingout fireworks this weekend.We want people to popfireworks not guns.

A lot ofsenseless senseless gunviolence is taking place, Imean just, just in the last fewdays."PASTOR MARVINKIRKWOOD OFCONTAGIOUS LIFE CHURCHIN KANSAS CITY IS PART OFTHE MURDER-FREEWEEKEND PROJECT.

HESAYS PEOPLE ARECRAVING A BREAK IN THEVIOLENCE.Pastor MarvinKirkwood/ContagiousLife Church6:48"And they said, you know,we're tired of this we're tiredthis senseless killing andhomicides and innocentchildren, innocent childrenbeing murdered or teenagersbeing murdered."KANSAS CITY IS WELL ONTHE WAY TO SHATTERINGRECORDS FOR THENUMBER OF PEOPLEKILLED IN A SINGLE YEAR,WITH MANY OF THEVICTIMS, AND SUSPECTS,YOUNGER THAN 24 YEAROLD.

KIRKWOOD SAYSTHAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLEDON'T KNOW HOW THANDLE CONFLICT.Pastor MarvinKirkwood/ContagiouLife Church3:44"there's a lot of anger issueslot of a lot of things that'sthatthat's breeding on the insideof these young people that wehave yet to listen andunderstand."THERE'S ALREADY AGOFUNDME PAGE TIED TOTHIS WEEKEND.

IT'S TOPAY FOR MENTORSHIP ANDOTHER RESOURCES FORTHOSE WHO MIGHTOTHERWISBE PART OFTHE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.KIRKWOOD SAYS HE HASTO BELIEVE A MURDER-FREE WEEKEND ISPOSSIBLE IN KANSAS CITY.Pastor MarvinKirkwood/ContagiousLife Church11:52If we come together andbelieve that we can have amurder free weekend becausea murder free weekend canturn into murder free weeks,which will turn into murder freemonths, we believe it ispossible.CONTAGIOUS LIFCHURCH IS PARTNERINGWITH BISHOP MARKTOLBERT AND VICTORIOUSLIFE CHURCH, ANDOTHERS IN THIS PROJECT.WE'VE POSTED A LINK TOTHE GOFUNDME PAGE INTHIS STORY O