Mayor to host Gun Violence Prevention with Faith Community

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)–Mayor Steve Benjamin will host members of Columbia‘s faith community in a conversation on gun violence Friday, March 15. “Columbia is not immune. The possibility of gun violence lurks in every community and in every school, no matter how rich or how poor,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said. “It‘s an everyday concern and the faith community can no longer be silent.” The conversation is Columbia‘s response to the national “Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend,” March 15-17, led by Faiths United, a coalition of nearly 50 denominations and faith-based organizations. The mayor is inviting all interested worshippers to join in roundtable discussions on the faith community‘s role in curbing gun violence at 7:30 a.m. at the First Nazareth Baptist Church, at the corner of Gervais and Millwood. A complementary continental breakfast will be served. “Gun violence escalates taxpayer costs in the medical community, in the criminal justice system, in law enforcement and security precautions here and in every other city,” Benjamin said, costing U.S. citizens as much as $100 billion a year. “For the children who witness these violent acts, there is a higher cost that translates to long-term problems.” First Nazareth Baptist Church, pastored by the Dr. Blakely N. Scott, is at the corner of Gervais and Millwood Streets. The fellowship hall entry is on the northwest corner, near Lady Street.