Community members gather at Powell to find peace, resolution from recent shootings and violence

Around 200-300 showed up to speak, listen, come together

La Crosse is a community trying to push back against weeks of violent shootings that have shattered the peace in neighborhoods and left a young man dead.

Wednesday evening, that community met at Powell Park to vent, find peace and, possibly, find some solutions to a seemingly growing problem. In the last month, La Crosse has seen seven shootings and one homicide on three consecutive weekends.

The gathering was also a way forward, to promote mentorship and patterning good behavior for the community’s young people.

One of those who spoke on the subject, a man, who identified himself only as “Stone,” talked about the need to positively impact all children.

“So you running around cursing, acting a fool, pants hanging off your butt,” Stone said. “Just remember, that if a child somewhere, they hear you and see you, they wanna be just like you.”

Anywhere from 200-300 attended the event, which featured speakers ranging from Stone to a city council member, representatives of local non-profits and La Crosse mayor Tim Kabat.