Stop the Violence Group Planning Another March for Shooting Victim

Cedar Rapids Washington's Latasha Roundtree (left) drives toward the basket against Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Kate Schulz during the first half of their game at Kennedy High School on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, in northeast Cedar Rapids. (Jim Slosiarek/SourceMedia Group News)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Sep 26, 2012 at 11:44 AM CDT

Story Updated: Sep 26, 2012 at 6:21 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A group that organized earlier this year to protest gun violence in Cedar Rapids is planning yet another march against violence for the latest homicide victim in Cedar Rapids.

The Stop the Violence group conducted a community march to protest the death of a Cedar Rapids man last May. That was in connection with the shooting death of Raphael Blackwell.

Organizer Monica Simpson said the same group plans to march again in Cedar Rapids on Friday, September 28th . Members say this effort is intended to draw attention to the death of Latasha Roundtree, 19, last weekend.

Simpson said the march will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the intersection of 15th Street and 4th Avenue S.E. That is near Roundtree’s home. Group members are still working on the details, but the stop the violence event in May included both a walk around the neighborhood and an event with community groups and police the next day at a downtown park.

The original intent of the first march was to encourage people to realize there are other ways to deal with problems than resorting to violence.