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Community leader reacts to string of recent shootings in Grand Rapids

Police are holding a press conference Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. to address the recent uptick in violence.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Elijah Libbett has lived in Southeast Grand Rapids for years.

"I come from the streets. I come from prison. I come from all of that and I've been shot six times on five different occasions but I lived through it and by living through it I found that life is worth living," says Libbett.

Libbett has now turned his life around and that's why he's so disappointed to see a string of shootings. 

In the past two day there have been a string of at least six shootings and one of them was fatal.

RELATED: Police in Grand Rapids investigate two shootings including a child hit in the arm

"I need our young black kids to stop killing each other and start living. You don't have nothing.  You're dying for nothing," says Libbett.

Libbett is part of the group Mom's on a Mission who works to prevent violence by displaying large pictures of youth who have been killed by gun violence.

"The Mothers sit there and they don't want to see another mother go through what they went through, they have the courage to stand up and say please stop it....and that's our message please stop it," says Libbett.

Police are holding a press conference Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. to address the recent uptick in violence.  13 ON YOUR SIDE will be at the press conference and stream it live on Facebook and our website.

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