GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After a 17-year-old was shot and killed in Grand Rapids Saturday night, community members are speaking out — calling for change and action to stop the violence.

Marian Barrera-Young, the executive director of the Baxter Neighborhood Association, has spent decades working in anti-violence advocacy. She said while the shooting didn’t happen in her neighborhood, the impact is being felt across the city.

“I don't think it's just Grand Rapids. Violence is ticking up everywhere,” Barrera-Young said.

She’s lived in the area for 30 years and has witnessed the rise in violence firsthand.

“We don't want to see another death. I don't wanna see another mother or a family crushed from this type of activity,” she said.

While her organization works to address violence in

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