Schenectady

The mothers of the two most recent fatal shooting victims in the city were among a large crowd that marched along Schenectady Street chanting anti-violence slogans and singing protest songs like "We Shall Overcome" in a rally to take back the beleaguered streets of Hamilton Hill.

On their way two blocks over to Jerry Burell Park, the protesters, including pastors, politicians and police, walked by the makeshift street memorial for 18-year-old Kusaan Tolliver, who was gunned down Monday night, four days after another man was shot around the same spot.

A few weeks earlier, LaSean Gause, 19, died after being shot outside a food store on Albany Street between Craig and Hulett streets. Police have said he was not the intended target of the suspected shooters, who have been charged in connection with the slaying. As of late Friday, police had not made any arrests in either of the shootings on Schenectady Street, a one-way street between Strong and Albany streets.

"We put a lot of pressure on the police, we put a lot of pressure on the mayor, but what are we as a community doing, what are we as a community standing up for or standing up against?" asked Pastor Arnetta Dix of Refreshing Springs Church of God in Christ. "It's time to take back our streets."

Dix, who is also a member of the national civil rights group, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said that in two weeks her church will host a community forum to work on solutions to end the violence.

The SCLC along with the Hamilton Hill Neighborhood Association sponsored the peace march.

Marva Isaacs, president of the association, said she "couldn't stand to see much young people dying."

Mayor Gary McCarthy told the gathering that the shootings are not random acts of violence.

"There is a small group of people who are engaged in a course of conduct that just has such tragic and devastating effects on individuals, families and the community as a whole," said McCarthy. "There's a fascination with guns that just should not be there."

Police Chief Brian Kilcullen urged the crowd to break its silence and inform police about the Tolliver homicide, the fourth in the city in 2015.

"A good number of people here in the community know what happened here last Monday night, we know what happened Monday night, but as you're probably aware, there are rules we have to play by, which are called the Constitution, so we can't make an arrest until we have probable cause to do so," said the chief. "We need people to talk to us, we need people who were there to talk to us, so we can make that arrest and make this a safe community."

Aisha Persha, the mother of Gause, made an emotional appeal for youngsters to put down their guns.

"I just hope it stops. It's sad, I don't want anyone else's child to get hurt," she said. It hurts so bad, please just stop the violence."

Pastor Ted Ward said the black church has failed the community and said part of the problem behind the wanton violence is the absence of positive black role models for wayward young black men.

Afterward, Cheryl O'Neal, 59, of Schenectady, recounted how her grandson, now 22 years old, was paralyzed after being shot.

"I've lived here all my life and I've never seen so much violence, drug use, poverty, all this is just unbelievable, and that's why I'm here today," said O'Neal. "I don't know what to do, what to say, so I'm starting here to see if I can do something like volunteer work, something, to make a difference because this is ridiculous. These kids are out of control killing one another."

Pastor Priscilla Terry of Out the Box Family Worship Tabernacle on Albany Street in Hamilton Hill said community leaders and clergy need to listen to the people who are hurting and ask them what they need.

Adriel Ramgadoo and Alex Pham, both 20, said Gause was like a brother to them.

Ramgadoo said young men his age need to start respecting each other more and resolve their disputes without resorting to violence because of the profound impact it has on the entire community.

"You're not only killing the person," said Pham. "You also kill the friends, the family, the whole community."

pnelson@timesunion.com • 518-454-5347 • @apaulnelson