Local law enforcement and a delegation of local Black leaders gathered Tuesday morning on the Lowndes County Courthouse steps to appeal for an end to gun violence, and for victims and their families to cooperate with police. From left are Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard, Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Taylor Stewart, District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brent Swan, LCSO Capt. Dick Spann, District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem and Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton. “The message is simple, the problem is complicated,” Brooks said. He asked for young Black men specifically to “please put down your guns and refrain from killing each other. There is another way.” He also asked parents “not to harbor your children while they destroy one another, and now the community.” The appeal came after a rash of shootings in the city and county. Brian Jones/Dispatch Staff