Dozens gathered in Grand Army Plaza Tuesday afternoon to call for a gun violence cease-fire across the borough.

"Every child deserves to grow up," Natasha Christopher said.

Christopher's 14-year-old son, Akeal, was shot and killed on his way home from a graduation party.

"We want no other parent to join this club," she said.

Community members came together to highlight the areas impacted by gun and gang violence and to put a stop to it.

"Just the spike in Brownsville alone, Like with 77% spike in Brownsville," Aaron Jones, the co-founder of Community Changing Fund, said.

Police data shows so far this year in the Brownsville and Ocean Hill area, there have been 12 more shootings than the same time last year. Jones hopes to target young teens before they connect to violence.