so you tell me he was just riding his bike down the street and got shot?
The fatal shooting of Daniel McGee has prompted the Harrisburg community to unite this evening in honor of his life.
A peace rally will begin at 5:15 p.m. at A.L. Williams Park at Broad and Eve streets, then supporters will march to Bethel A.M.E. Church on Crawford Avenue for a candlelight vigil and service.
The 22-year-old brick-layer was fatally shot last month while riding his bike from the grocery store. No one has been arrested.
His death hit the community hard, said Michael Strickland, the event's organizer and a former Harrisburg resident.
"It kills me that blood has had to be shed for us to come together," said Mr. Strickland, now an Atlanta resident. "As a child growing up there, people looked out for each other. People are in fear because of Daniel's death and because of how the community has deteriorated."
Mr. Strickland said he hopes those that attend will support the Daniel McGee Funeral Fund. Mr. McGee did not have life insurance.
"I can't imagine the level of pain and agony his mother must have felt when she got that phone call," Mr. Strickland said. "We just want to help her, because no parent should have to lose their son like this."
Richmond County sheriff's Lt. Scott Peebles will speak to the crowd about the importance of a neighborhood watch, said Butch Palmer, a Harrisburg resident. The Rev. Mark Pierson, the pastor of Bethel A.M.E., and Rabbi Robert Klensin of Congregation Children of Israel will also speak.
Mr. Palmer said he hopes the speakers' words will inspire the community.
"The crime has gotten so bad. It's really an atrocity," he said. "We just want to get people together to report any suspicious activity and give support to Ms. McGee."
Vallery McGee, Mr. McGee's mother, said the past few weeks have been tough, but she's hoping the vigil will bring her some peace.
"I think about him every day. It's not something that will ever go away," she said. "I'm just hoping someone who comes out will come forward and help us find who did this."
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
IF YOU GO
The peace rally will take place at 5:15 p.m. at A.L. Williams Park at Broad and Eve streets. The candlelight vigil and service will be at 6 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 623 Crawford Ave.
HOW TO HELP
Donations can be made to C.A. Reid Sr. Memorial Funeral Home, 314-A Laney-Walker Blvd., Augusta, GA 30901
Comments
so you tell me he was just riding his bike down the street and got shot?
that's it ican. He really was an innocent victim.
How awful! This seems to be happening in Black communities all over the Nation.
Most of us are at a loss for words.
May the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with his Mother.. Why? Why would anyone want to shoot a brother? It just doesn't make sense...
icanusethat...If I'm not mistaken he was riding his bike to get either food or medicine for a elderely family member & they think the motive was robbery. I know your thinking how much money can a guy riding a bike have? But drug addicts & thugs don't have that kind of reasoning skills.To them a dollar is worth killing for.
MtnMan you are right but I think that neighborhood ain't all Black, not that it means anything. A life was lost senselessly.
Please come support this anti violence/drug vigil. Harrisburg is in between the Hill, Summerville and the downtown business district. It is appropriate for anyone in the CSRA to come because this could have happened anywhere. I checked with the Sheriff before I got involved with helping promote this vigil. Mr. McGee was a decent hard working young man with no criminal record. This could have been you, your son, your father your mother. The best crime deterrent is a viable neighbourhood watch. Please take this afternoon and join with the many respectable people of Harrisburg. We are going to circulate a petition asking the Richmond County Commission to fund a Sheriffs substation in Harrisburg. Lt Peebles will be instructing the attendees about forming a neighbourhood watch and various other safety tactics and we can meet each other!
MtnMan Harrisburg is a mixed community....about 50/50
MtnMan why has it always got to come down to the "brother"? Why can't it be that "an innocent man" was shot? I'm so tired of hearing about "brothas and sistas". We are people. I've never seen a person as a color in my entire life. The crime in the Augusta area is getting more and more dangerous for everyone and it needs to stop but so does the whole race card.
People of the community need to report every crime, drug dealer, or any suspicious activity they see in the neighborhood if they want safer places to live. Encourage police patrols instead of rioting when a criminal gets arrested or shot.
viewpoint what world do you live in. Who doesn't encourage police patrols. Are you serious and aint nobody rioting when a criminal gets arrested. I know the chronicle has brainwashed you with their stories on a certain person everyday of the week. How many ppl actually live in Ct. And how many people in CT did something. I bet you have no idea on the subject than what the conservative chroncile has told you. To mtnman a white person dies everyday in america you know. And harrisburg is not a black community.
sprintman, How many people in CT threw stuff at policemen and firemen? Were these targeted officers brainwashed too? If you have more information on the subject, how about enlightening us.
icanusethat: If you dropped your bigotry and jaundiced perspective you might have had the mental capacity to do a website search on Mr. McGee. If you had the brain to do that instead of coming with a idiotic question you would have read the articles which would have told you how he was going to the store for an elderly relative for whom he was the sole caregiver...But no, you are just an ***hole who probably wouldn't drive your car to do something for someone yet alone exert yourself by physically riding a bike.
I've been in law enforcement for 12 years and I will tell you "icanusethat" people have been killed for doing less than that...Ever heard the term "random shooting", or "innocent victim"???
sprintman I live in the same world as you. Do you think the chronicle shouldn't report the fires that were set, the bottles and rocks thrown at police, the vandalism, and the protesting? Maybe it was just a handful of residents that behaved this way but you are part of the problem when you try to place blame where it does not belong, and call it brainwashing.
LOL Sarge but the half that looks like you, you want OUT... what's your name so when I come I can introduce myself to you.
jackfruitpaper833....What are you talking about. The way people look are not the reason that we want them out. We want the low life and criminals out. Behavior ..not looks is what matters.
What's the ethnic ratio of those committing the crimes in your area? The ones that look like you, get real you only want the blacks out.
jackfruitpaper833 ...We want the black trash and the white trash out. We want all the crack whores, drug dealers, crack heads, thiefs, and litter bugs out.... I was raised with black and white neighbors. You get real and get the paranoia out of your head. You obviously do not know anything about me or you would be eating your ugly tounge.
The vigil could have been bigger but I am happy for the participation that we did get. Most of the people who attended the vigil were not generational welfare people. As more upwardly mobile people move into Harrisburg the crime rate will go down: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/memphis-crime
jackfruitpaper833 "What's the ethnic ratio of those committing the crimes in your area? White and Black...Don't make a race issue out of criminals. It does not matter what ratio they are...they need to go. Tell me...what neighborhood do you know where they want criminals?
Lets think practical here. The dirty dead is done and cannot be undone. We cannot bring him back even if we wanted to. So lets make the best of a bad situation. I'm in the market for a used bike....is it up for sale yet??
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