Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Calls For Federal Intervention In Chicago Violence

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 1, 2013 11:20PM

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Photo Credit: Chuck Sudo

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and his Rainbow PUSH Coalition "call for immediate Federal Intervention and Homeland Security in Chicago" to deal with the violence in Chicago, and the group will hold a rally and march on Saturday in honor of Hadiya Pendleton.

“With each passing shot, the call for gun reform becomes more critical because of the stinging pain of past tragedies; we must work diligently to break this cycle of violence to prevent future tragedies,” Rev. Jackson wrote in a release.

Hadiya, 15, was shot and killed on Tuesday, just over a week after she performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration as a majorette with King College Prep. Hadiya was shot while seeking shelter from the rain with other students near her school in Kenwood, less than a mile away from Pres. Obama's home. This afternoon about 100 people held a vigil at the park where she was killed.

Police are offering a reward of $30,000 for information on the shooter, who is still at large. Hadiya's ties to the president and his neighborhood made her murder national news and added urgency to dealing with Chicago's problems with guns and violence. President Obama reportedly called Hadiya's family, and there is a petition urging him to attend the teen's funeral with more than 500 signatures.

The Rally and March in memory of Hadiya is on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. It starts at the Rainbow PUSH headquarters, 930 E. 50th Street, and ends at 4458 S. Oakenwald Avenue, followed by a press conference in the park where Hadiya was shot.

Watch video below of Hadiya's mother Cleopatra Cowley speaking to Rev. Al Sharpton about her daughter and the epidemic of violence. Further below, watch young Hadiya in a PSA warning about the dangers of joining gangs.

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