LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For 11 years, Ricardo Franklin has raised his voice to speak out against gun violence with a peace walk in Lexington.
The Antonio Franklink Jr. VIP Program Peace Walk has been happening on the same day for the last 11 years to keep the conversation around gun violence on going.
In 2014, Ricardo Franklin's brother, Antonio Franklin, was shot and killed at Duncan Park. Which is the exact location where Franklin holds the Peace Walk to honor Antonio.
Dozens of people, several organizations, the Lexington Fire Department, the Lexington Police Department and the Fayette County Sheriff's Office all joined Ricardo in the walk.
“We’re here together as a community. We’re here together as one in unison to put an end to gun violence. To see our community grow," said Franklin. “It just shows a testament to how everyone in Lexington is committed to seeing this change and I’m really thankful for the opportunity.”
Other moms and grandmothers who lost their loved ones to gun violence shared their stories. Speaking out on why the conversation around gun violence should not be silenced.
This right now, the way our children are dying, we are at war. We’re gonna lose a whole generation, and then where are we gonna be at, what is our future going to be?" expressed one of the moms.
According to Pew Research, about 8 in 10 murders in the U.S. involved a firearm in 2023. The number of gun-related deaths in 2023 was the third-highest total on record, trailing only the two previous years, the Pew Research article goes on to read.
“Think about the child who passes away when he’s 16, when he’s 12, when he’s 8 you know gun violence has no age limit. It doesn’t have race. It doesn’t have ethnicity. It doesn’t have any of that. It can take anyone at any time. It can happen anywhere at any time," explains Franklin.
Franklin says this walk grows every year and remains strong with the community's support. “It’s truly been a great thing to see how this group has come together over the years, some of us are at the Sheriff’s office now helping Sheriff Whitt and still keeping that fight alive.”
