Outrage reigns at community meeting on gun violence

Community leaders are standing together and demanding answers after an epidemic of gun violence.

A recent block party shooting has many wondering how can we feel safe anywhere. 

At the Dexter Elmhurst Community Center community leaders who have had enough came together for a solution. What was agreed on is that nothing will change until the stop-snitching mentality comes to an end.

Outrage was on display over the fact that someone could open fire into a block party with kids and not care. 

Saturday night, 12 people were shot and one killed across the street from Detroit's Dexter Elmhurst Center where Tuesday's community meeting was held.

Sources told FOX 2 a known drug dealer was actually throwing that block party to thank the neighborhood for not snitching.That same man had been shot last month in a drive-by. 

He never snitched, and it appears someone came back to finish the job. But because no one is talking, police are stuck.

"It's the community that really takes care of us when it comes to helping us with issues in the city," said Cmdr. Charles Moore. "This is not a police problem; it is a community problem. We cannot do it by ourselves."

That's why Detroit police, religious, city and political leaders called the meeting to encourage the community to stand up and the crowd to speak up.

And the neighborhoods are also demanding change - more attention, more police, more jobs and more places for young people to go.

Tamica Neal says it's so bad, she's afraid to leave her house.

"People need to stand up and stop being scared," she said. "We sit and we talk about white people shooting the black people. What about  black on black crime - nobody is saying that."

Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones weighed in.

"We have to get more police but it's not going to be done with police," she said. "The community are the eyes and ears on the street."

A total of 24 people were shot over the weekend in Detroit. And moments before this meeting started on the east side of the city, three men were shot at one single house on Tilman. 

Pastor Maurice Hardwick, a former drug dealer whose been shot seven times, says crimes don't change - but people do and it's time they do the right thing.

"It's not about snitching. That only works until it's your family," he said. "Once it's your family, that doesn't apply because you want someone to tell who shot your little sister."