Stop the Violence rally planned Sunday despite shooting at South Fulton park last year

ATLANTA - A Stop the Violence rally is happening Sunday in South Fulton after a man was shot and killed at the park where it was happening last year. 

"We just want everybody to know that violence is not the answer," South Fulton City Council member Helen Willis said. 

And that is why Willis said the Stop the Violence event at Welcome All Park is so important.

This is the 12th year it has been put on by the nonprofit Connecting The L.I.N.K.S Foundation. Willis spoke at the event last year when shots rang out.

"I walked over, and saw a young man in a pool of blood," Willis told FOX 5 during an interview in April 2022.

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Police say it was an argument which led to the exchange of gunfire, but Willis says they were determined to hold the event again this year.

"The tragedy that happened had nothing to do with this Stop the Violence rally. It happened on the other side of the park, so this year we will have no other events in the park," Willis said. "The city of South Fulton Park and Recreation Division and our police division we're there as partners this year," she added.

The city of South Fulton also passed a new law in August prohibiting the brandishing of weapons in city parks.

Willis hopes these changes will help attendees feel safe as they speak out against violence in their community.

"We need to talk through our problems more. We need more mentorship there will be a lot of vendors out there to offer mentorship," Willis said. 

"This year we want to make sure that everybody has a good time. We talk about what happened, we learn from it, and we move forward," she added.