The Wendale Davis Foundation hosted its 11th annual Walk for Peace in Central Bakersfield Saturday morning. The event was to bring awareness to the many lives lost due to gun violence.
“In 2006, April 23, my 16-year-old son, Wendale Davis was murdered,” said Wesley Davis. “The guys who murdered my son had never seen him before in his life.”
When the case started to get cold, Wesley had to put his energy into something positive. So he founded the Wendale Davis Foundation, in his son’s name and started the Walk for Peace in hopes to stop the rising number of lives lost in Kern County.
“2017 was our deadliest year on record with 101 homicides, 2018 is on task to be even a deadlier year,” said Cynthia Zimmer.
One of those homicides, Adam Cook.
“There was a gathering at a supermarket, where he was going in to retrieve some snacks and he came out and was approached by someone and they started shooting,” said Rene Woolfolk, aunt of Adam.
Another shooting and death that was added to the board of pictures in remembrance of the lives’ lost due to gun violence.
“I can’t even look at it for too long, to be honest. Because it’s really that devastating to know that all these people lost their lives to hands of others, just foolishness,” said Wesley.
And another family devastated.
“I would like for these people to understand and look at this board to know what pain they’re actually causing parents, mothers and fathers. Come out and look into the face of someone’s mom, someone’s dad,” said Wesley. “You have put them in this situation and then ask yourself ‘is that something you want to put your parent through’ maybe that’s something these guys will relate to. I don’t know.”
So they walk to remember the lives lost and to prevent more lives from being added to the board.
