‘It’s not a game.’ Macon leaders stand to support Pleasant Hill against gun violence

Tracey Sweet, who lives at the corner of Forest Avenue and Walnut Street, had bullets fly through her house about a year ago when a shooting happened at the intersection.

“I can’t even keep my grandbabies because of fear,” she said. “Why should I be running from bullets going through my house? Why should I be running from that? Why should I care that I can’t keep my grandbabies?”

Sweet worked so hard to get her house, and she said it’s not fair she can’t enjoy it. She doesn’t understand why kids have guns, she said.

“It’s not a game. It’s not a game putting people’s life in danger,” she said.

Sweet stood with the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization who gathered at the intersection Monday afternoon to show the community that it has their support.

“The Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization called this press conference to not only address the negativity and the crime that has been highlighted over the last few months, but to also stand alongside our residents and community partners to say that we are here working together to create solutions to bring Pleasant Hill back to its historic greatness,” said Erion Smith, chair of the neighborhood organization. “We are responding to the unacceptable patterns of gun violence, and reckless self destruction behavior occurring in Pleasant Hill.”

Smith said the neighborhood organization is there to support young people and show them the resources that already exist in the community.

“This does not represent Pleasant Hill,” he said. “Now we have to start seeing positive action. We have to appreciate and respect the heritage of Pleasant Hill.”