By JACK MINCH , Sun Staff
LOWELL -- The city's youth took to the streets last night calling for peace at the end of one of the deadliest years in Lowell's history.
The sunset march coincided with yesterday's funeral for Augusto "A.C." DeGree who was the 14th homicide of the year.
Society must fight against despair and city residents can't watch passively while violence rages, warned Gregg Croteau, the executive director for United Teen Equality Center.
"Today young people are standing up to say we do care, we're not OK that other young people are getting shot and killed," Croteau said. "And we're hoping that today is a moment when people will say stop killing and start talking and we take this as a commitment."
UTEC organized the demonstration and two-by-two the marchers left its Merrimack Street offices for the procession through the downtown district.
They held candles in plastic cups and walked as silently as a funeral march.
Police stopped traffic at the intersections and motorists watched as an estimated 100 marchers moved on.
Down Merrimack Street and up Central Street to Warren Street they went then stopped at UTEC's future offices at 34 Hurd St.
From there they went to 251 Central St. where DeGree was shot in a second-floor apartment Dec. 15.
Many wore white T-shirts with the message "Stop Killin' Start Talkin'" written in black.
Most were teens and 20-somethings but other members of the community joined.
"This is big event," said Joshua Morales, 17, a student at Lowell High School and leading organizer, during the stop at the Hurd Street office. "It's huge for us."
Marcus Shirley, 22, of Lowell, shared his grief over the death of his cousin Joshua Gens on Nov. 1
"It took a 15-cent bullet to take his life," Shirley lamented. "Where is the sense in that?"
The names of this year's 14 homicide victims were read aloud and a flower laid down for each one. DeGree's name was the last one read.
The Rev. Laurie Auffant of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lowell joined in the march, noting the religious significance of Christmas, Chanukah and the winter solstice all taking place about the same time.
"Most of the world's religions honor, celebrate peace and I firmly believe the youth are our future and anything we can do to support our youth is critical," Auffant said.
Katherine Roy knew Alexander Castro-Santos, 19, killed May 15; Sharif Shaheed, 33, killed July 8; and Degree.
"It's hard enough to sit through a funeral or wake, I can't do it again," she said.
As Roy walked away from the makeshift memorial outside Degrees home, she cried.