AKRON, Ohio — In Akron, local pastors are calling for unity after gun violence strikes the city once again.
“It’s frustrating to me,” said Pastor Juanita Watson of Faith Outreach Ministries, The Faith Factory.
It’s been a trying time in Akron as Pastor Juanita Watson and the community deal with yet another shooting that leaves one woman in critical condition.
“We’ve had just incidents all around the city,” said Watson.
According to a statement from Akron Police, officers responded to a shooting in the 800 block of Concord Avenue Tuesday morning and found a 33-year-old woman who had been shot in the head.
Police said the woman is now at a local hospital and is listed in critical condition.
Meanwhile, police said they took a 45-year-old woman into custody without incident, who was later taken in for questioning.
The incident is still under investigation as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
“God, I pray that you will touch the victim and the victimizer,” said Apostle Jimmie Rodgers of the Good Hope Ministries.
Rodgers told News 5 on Wednesday he is praying for order to be restored across the city.
“We know that we can get up out of this situation,” said Rodgers. “There is nothing too hard for God.”
Rodgers’ church is located on Akron’s east side, which happens to be in the same neighborhood as Tuesday’s shooting on Concord Avenue.
His building is also just one block away from where the mass shooting took place last month that left 29 people injured and one man dead.
“We have to get on one accord. We have to stay in the will of God. Stay on the platform of prayer and believe God even at a time like this,” said Rodgers.
Along with prayer, Watson said the city can also start addressing gun violence through a collective effort where city and community leaders come together as one to develop action plans that are followed through and work.
“We can’t expect to win them, and we don’t know them. We don’t take the time to get to know them,” said Watson.
By doing this, Watson said she’s hopeful things will change if enough people rally together to provide love, support and resources that can help.
“I always so it’s go time. It’s time to go forward and it’s time to do for our community what we’ve been assigned to do,” said Watson.
