SIKESTON — An event set for Saturday in Sikeston aims to increase awareness of gun violence and its consequences while bringing the community together for activities to reach both adults and children.
The fourth annual “Stop The Violence Festival” beings at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 16 at the corner of Branum and William Streets in Sikeston.
“When we say ‘stop the violence, we are talking about stopping not only the shootings on the streets but also the shootings in the schools, churches, and everywhere they happen,” said Tonya Mitchell of Sikeston, who is helping organize the event with her sister, Laurie Mitchell.
On Feb. 19, 2019, 24-year-old Marcus Dixon Jr. was found by his mother, Laurie Mitchell of Sikeston, lying at the corner of Branum and William Streets in Sikeston. He had been shot to death.
In July 2019, Mitchell organized and created the first Stop the Violence march in Sikeston. Hundreds of people attended. In 2020 and 2021, Mitchell again organized an effort to educate and help others understand that gun violence is real. Between 300 and 400 people attended both years.
“Even though when we started this event after Marcus was murdered, our hearts go out to anyone who have lost loved ones in gun violence,” Tonya Mitchell said.
Mitchell said the event is open to everyone.
“We are looking forward to meeting new people and are open to new ideas and any type of ideas that people have to fight gun violence are more than welcome,” Mitchell said.
On Saturday, Lazy L Safari Park will be on hand with a walk-through zoo. There will be barbecue, nachos, lemonade, bounce houses and other activities.
There will be praying and singing, too. Sikeston Department of Public is expected to have a presence, according to Mitchell.
“There’s nothing that we can do personally to take away the pain of the families but we just want to keep them encouraged,” Mitchell said. “As a community and even worldwide, if we can just help enlighten people on guns, period. I think what would help, too, is if offenders knew the consequences for their actions beforehand.”
A lot of times, people do things and they don’t think about the consequences, Mitchell said.
“We need help to spread the message to make people think before they do something and make them aware of the consequences because there are consequences behind having a gun and shooting and killing people,” she said.
For example, a person who kills someone else and found guilty could — and often do —face prison for the rest of their lives, Mitchell said.
“Adult prisons aren’t like you are going to some type of paradise or vacation,” Mitchell said. “… There’s a consequence for everything they do.”
Also, a person’s actions, specifically shooting and killing someone, has multiple effects, Mitchell said.
“It doesn’t just affect the deceased person’s family,” she said. “It affects everybody because most of the time, we are all connected to one another – one way or another — and it just puts people in a bad situation and everybody loses.”
Even when an offender is going to court, both the victim’s and offender’s families must go through everything again, Mitchell said.
“You feel like you’ve healed, and then your heart aches again,” Mitchell said. “So the heartache never stops.”
Mitchell said she doesn’t know if there is one answer to combatting gun violence, but individuals and communities must keep trying.
The first step, Mitchell said, is to talk to legislators about how people get guns illegally. It’s also important to get out and vote, she said. Holding events like Saturday’s will also help bring the community together, which is something that will always be needed, she said.
“Killing someone doesn’t affect one person; it affects a whole community,” Mitchell said.