ST. LOUIS — Faith and St. Louis city leaders will come together Sunday afternoon to pray for an end to gun violence.
The interfaith service is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Cardinal Ritter College Prep. The address is 701 N. Spring. The service will be held on the high school’s football field.
Archbishop Robert Carlson is hosting the service with 12 faith leaders from different denominations across the St. Louis area. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson is expected to attend as well.
‘This moment of unity is in response to the tragic wave of gun-related child fatalities in St. Louis this year,’ according to a Facebook page for Sunday afternoon’s event.
Fourteen children have been fatally shot in the city this year.
According to the St. Louis police department's online crime data report, in 2019, there have been 156 homicides in the City of St. Louis through the month of September. Over the same time period in 2018, there were 139 homicides, which means there’s been a 12% increase this year.
There’s been an 11% increase this year in aggravated assault cases involving guns in the city. There have been 2,006 cases through the month of September this year, compared to 1,801 cases over the same time period last year.
