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Family Of Girl Killed In Detroit Takes Part In 'Unity Walk'

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) — The family of a 16-year-old suburban girl fatally shot in Detroit helped organize and participate in a "Community Unity Walk" on Saturday that drew several hundred people.

The event was held along Mack Avenue, a border between Detroit and the upscale Grosse Pointe communities. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig also took part.

Minister Malik Shabazz kicked off the march while stressing the importance of speaking up.

"You could make a call and be a hero and a shero and fight crime," Shabazz told the crowd.

Police say Paige Stalker was in a parked car Dec. 22 with friends on Detroit's east side when a man opened fire, killing the Grosse Pointe Farms teen. Her family has joined others dealing with similar tragedies, going door-to-door to help solve cases.

Jennifer Stalker, who was among the walkers, has said her family feels "empowered" after her daughter's killing. The route was selected after the Stalker family bonded with the Detroit family of Chris Samuel, whose 22-year-old daughter Christina Samuel was killed around the same time.

[MORE: 'Unity Walk' Looks To Bring Community Together In A Stand Against Violence]

Doreen Lee, a friend of the Stalker family and one of the walk's organizers, told WWJ-AM that it's important to hold these kinds of events in memory of all victims — regardless of which side of the line they lived on.

"We lose all these people in all these communities, and it just touches my heart that the two communities have finally come together," Lee said.

Another participant was Giana Woodson, who was a friend of Paige Stalker. She told WWJ-AM that reminders of her former classmate are all around her.

"Everywhere you look, there's always a picture of her ... and we have them in our school," Woodson said. "I mean, it never really goes away and there are billboards when you drive down Mack, and you just kind of always remember. It's just very surreal for the community to go through something like that."

 

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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