Walk for Peace held in Millville

Millville, N.J. (WTXF) - A Walk for Peace was held in Millville, New Jersey Tuesday night after a young football coach was killed last week.

"We thank you for the unity that's here right now." Prayer kicked off a walk for peace through the streets of Millville Tuesday night. More than 40 community members showed up to make their voices heard.

"We want peace and guns off our streets," the group chanted. They walked several blocks to the apartments where 37-year-old Coach Joseph Jones lived. He was gunned down last Thursday evening as the Millville Midget Football League's practice was ending on the field behind Lakeside Middle School.

"We try to rally together to let everybody know we're not going to let negativity win," said fellow Head Coach JT Burks who organized the walk. It's for the entire community but specifically for the young team. Many of them were there when Coach Jones was murdered.

"I hope this is therapy for them to put them on the right path," he said. Sean Thom also helped organize the walk and attended wearing a T-shirt in memory of Maurice Lewis who would've turned 20 today.

Thom says Lewis was shot when someone riding in the car with him rolled down the window while riding through a neighborhood last May.

"It's about all the gun violence, violence happening, the drugs and the gangs," said Thom. He says he's marching for all victims and a safer community.

"Letting people know that hey we're out here and we're trying to work to make for change," he said. The walk ended with a pep talk to the kids about choices, hope and the community's pledge to protect them.

"It's people out there routing for them to succeed. Not for them to end up being a statistic," said Coach Burks.