Atlantic City is asking the community to come together in peace Saturday morning.
A Peace Walk is planned for 11 a.m. beginning at O'Donnell Park and continuing to City Hall.
The walk already was planned before the year began with a rash of violence that included four homicides, Mayor Marty Small said at a news conference this week.
The city's anti-violence unit — One Neighborhood Evolution — is hosting the event.
The group joined Small, Police Chief James Sarkos and the new re-entry unit for the news conference Tuesday.
They called on the community to join the fight and for parents to be involved in guiding the youth.
"We're trying to be proactive," said Demaris Jones, the anti-violence unit's newest member. "All of us have a passion, and it's our community. Your children are our children but we also need the parents to be proactive.
"We're about us becoming better so that the children can become better because it starts with us, but it starts at home," she added. "We're here to help your children, but you need to help them as well. So we're asking, join the fight."
The anti-violence group has been the target of some as it includes many who have had criminal records. But Small has stressed that those are the ones who can help broker peace behind the scenes.
Violence this year has included a shooting that killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded another teen.
The boy who was killed had been at the Carnegie Library where anti-violence and re-entry are housed earlier that day looking for work, Small confirmed.
The teen also was previously a victim of violence, BreakingAC has confirmed.
Small was asked about how the anti-violence group was talking to children already at risk when most of the members are older.
"Remember this is not just a youth anti-violence program," he replied. "Violence doesn't have an age limit. People are going to do what they're going to do. It's our job to try to tell them what they shouldn't do and what is said consequences."
He did not address the details of how they are addressing the at-risk youth.
There will be a free kids gameday at the Lucky Snake Arcade after the walk, from 3 to 6 p.m.
