Homicide victim's family pushes for peace

Loved ones of a young man killed in an Independence cul-de-sac last week gathered to remember him at Waterfall Park Wednesday night.

2020... A VIOLENT YEARFOR THE GREATERKANSAS CITY AREA...THESE BLACK MARKS --COVERING OURCOMMUNITY -- REPRESENTJUST SOME OF THE 161LIVES CUT SHORT... 161FAMILY MEMBERS LOST.IN INDEPENDENCE ONEFAMILY IS CALLING FORCHANGE AFTER THEIRLOVED ONE'S MURDER.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ANDRESGUITERREZ SHOWS USTHEIR CRY FOR HELP.AS YOU CAN see MATTHEWBLAND-WILLIAMS WASLOVED BY MANY.HE WAS 26-YEAR-OLDWHEN HE LOST HIS LIFELAST WEEK...HIS ACCUSED KILLER: 23-YEARS-OLD.Rosilyn Temple/KC Mothers inCharge/Our young men are dying bythe dozens.

If we don't step upas a community and do betteris never gonna get a betterIT'S A MESSAGE THATCAN'T BE SAID ENOUGH...AS PAMELA BLANDMOURNS THE DEATH OFHER ONLY SONPamela bland/Matthew's mother/They can't believe it.

Theycan't wrap themselves aroundit.

We don't believe this isreal.For him to have been takenout like this.MATTHEW BLAND-WILLIAMS WAS ON HIS WAYTO VISIT A FRIEND LASTTHURSDAY.WHEN HE PULLED UP TOTHIS INDEPENDENCECUL-DE-SACPROSECUTORS SAYARIEOUS WALTON-MERRITTSHOT AND KILLED HIM.Ashley Bland-Manlove/Matthew'sCousin & Missouri StateRepresentativeI'm not the only one hurtingout here//Ashley Bland-Manlove/Matthew'sCousin & Missouri StateRepresentative/When I call my friends and telthem that I'm hurting.

Theysay I know that pain.AS A MISSOURI STATEREPRESENTATIVE,MATTHEW'S COUSIN,ASHLEY BLAND-MANLOVE,IS ADVOCATING FORPOLICIES TO REDUCE GUNVIOLENCE.IT'S A POINT SHE MADEDURING A RALLY LASTMONTH IN KANSAS CITYMISSOURI THAT FOCUSEDON BRINGING ATTENTIONTO THE VIOLENCEHAPPENING WITHIN THEAFRICAN-AMERICANCOMMUNITY.Ashley Bland-Manlove/Matthew'sCousin & Missouri StateRepresentative/we also have to pay attentioto--are we loving ourselves?Are we policing ourselves?Are we saying, 'Hey guysthat's not right and I won'tstand for it and that's aboutthat's black love.

And that'sblack people lovingthemselves.MATTHEW'S MOTHERDOESN'T WANT MOREFAMILIES IN OURCOMMUNITY TO GRIEVELIKE SHE IS.Pamela bland/Matthew's mother/A lot of us are hurting insideA lot of us have been hurtingfor a long time.

But we needto probably have moreprograms or Somethingaccessible and know thyou're not going to bedegraded because you reachout for heIN INDEPENDENCE.ANDRES GUTIERREZ.

41ACTION N