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RI rally draws young and old in march against violence

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By Thomas Geyer | Saturday, May 17, 2008 9:43 AM CDT | () comments

Janea Robinson, the sister of homicide victim Jermaine Robinson, kisses the hand of 7-month-old Jermaine Robinson Jr. as his mother, Jennifer Myrick, holds him Friday during the Peace in Our Streets Walk and Rally in Rock Island. Jermaine Robinson of Moline was one of two victims of a double homicide in Rock Island in April. Friday’s event was organized by the Community Caring Conference. (Elisa Petersen/Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

William Miles, 10, a student at Audubon Elementary School in Rock Island, said he has some ideas on how to make the streets of his community safe for everyone.

“You need to stop the weed,” said William. “You need to get rid of cigarettes.”

William, who plans to be either an artist or sportsman, or both, said there should be something more for teens to do beside walk the street, such as jobs or other worthwhile activities, and there should be a curfew for teens “since they’re the ones getting killed the most.”

A curfew law does exist in Rock Island: Sunday through Thursday, anyone under 17 has to be home by 11 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, it’s midnight, police said.

Rock Island’s west end was the setting for Friday’s Peace in Our Streets Walk and Rally. Community Caring Conference sponsored the event.

Tromaine Smith, 10, a student at Horace Mann School, said the event is “going to help stop the violence.”

Both Tromaine and William joined about 150 people in the walk. The event was a response to recent violent crime throughout the Quad-Cities, including a double homicide in Rock Island in April.

Jermaine Robinson, 30, and Ryan Ferry, 22, both of Moline, were shot to death in a car stopped in the 1300 block of 7th Street on April 11.

Jennifer Myrick, the mother of Robinson’s 7-month-old son, Jermaine Robinson Jr., participated in the rally. She said the night of April 11 still seems unreal.

“He was always home by 10 p.m.,” Myrick said. “At about 9 p.m., 9:20 p.m., somewhere in there, he said he was going with Ryan and that he’d be back in a short while.

“When he wasn’t home by 10 p.m., and then 11 p.m., I knew something wasn’t right,” she said. “I’m still not right. It just doesn’t seem real.”

Shannon Heinrich, the mother of two of Robinson’s daughters, Jaelynn, 2, and Jayvionce, 4, wore a shirt that said “RIP Jermaine.”

Pointing to Jaelynn in the stroller, Heinrich said, “She just looks around for him all the time.”

As for Jayvionce, Heinrich said, “She doesn’t know it’s permanent. She doesn’t understand what heaven is so she looks up and speaks to him.”

Heinrich said that Jayvionce has gotten “clingy. She’s worried something’s going to happen to me next.”

Friday’s walk is the first in a series of events participating churches and organizations are planning this summer to combat violence.

The Rev. Jarrod Parker, pastor of the Greater Antioch Baptist Church, said on June 13 there will be softball, baseball and flag football at Douglas Park, where a shooting incident in April resulted in the Little League canceling play there.

Rock Island’s First Ward Alderman Terry Brooks wants to improve the city’s image.

“Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people in Rock Island are good, productive, honest

people,” he said. “It takes one horrendous incident to cause an explosion, and then Rock Island is branded.”

Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.