“We show up with a demonstration of people power to get clear commitments from officials,” another speaker said. “Because people in our community need to make choices between paying for rent and paying for groceries because kids are being kicked out of a classroom because people are being gunned down in our streets.”

A Columbia pastor led a brief ceremony Wednesday to remember the 20 Columbia residents who lost their lives to gun violence in 2019, placing roses upon 20 empty chairs and asking people in the crowd to observe a moment of silence for those killed.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Community members gathered at Reid Chapel AME in Columbia on Wednesday for a drive-in vigil to honor victims of gun violence.

The leaders stressed that on September 13 there were five shootings in just one day in Richland County, and the focus of the vigil was to pray for those taken last year by gun violence and to call out to law enforcement to bring greater trust to communities to stop it from happening.

Faith-based community organizations in Columbia and Charleston are urging local leaders to consider establishing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, a program that provides financial incentives for developers to build more affordable housing in a community.

In Columbia, Midlands Organized Response for Equity (MORE) and Justice draws members from more than 30 diverse religious congregations around the Midlands who meet regularly with each other and with local officials to address the problems of poverty and the need for access to health care and affordable housing.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) —A group of Columbia pastors is encouraging city leaders to implement a more hands-on approach to combating gun violence.