Church group cries for help after a man is found dead near the church’s doorsteps

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - About a hundred people gathered inside St. Therese Little Flower Thursday night to pray for one thing -- a way to stop the violence.

Ron James, 35, was shot inside a car Wednesday afternoon.

He is the most recent victim, but the church that has been in the Blue Hills neighborhood for at least 60 years, has seen three killings close to the church in five years.

Thursday night, members from several different churches and of different faiths gathered together to try and plan for a change.

"Coming together fighting crime has to be a priority for our area, whatever it takes to get jobs to get affordable housing to get repairs done to home to stop having so many vacant homes, to stop drugs and all kinds of things,“ said Estelle Tunley, a member of the St. Therese Little Flower.

They read the names of the victims of violence.

“Reading the victim's names tonight was one of the most dramatic for me and I am sure for others. To hear that most of those who have died in the city through violence are probably under the age of 20 of 19 and some of as young as 11 years old is heartbreaking,” said Tunley.

A group that was created in the church CCO which stands for Communities Creating Opportunities organized the event. Their mission is to ask to city for more youth jobs in the area, affordable housing and ways to help people stay in the homes and cut down on the vacant homes and try and get parents more involved in their children’s lives. They hope the small victories will help in the end reduce crime.

"We think these things will empower our community and really create a life line to hope and healing in this community,” said Jerry Jones the CCO Organizer.

The group is meeting again Saturday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. at St. Therese Little Flower, located at 5814 Euclid Ave.