More than 100 turn out for 'Stop the Violence' rally in Beaufort Saturday
Janice Steve said she and her family have been on an emotional roller coaster since the disappearance of her son, Ver'mon Steve.
"From the big hills ... to the low, low valleys," she said just before a candlelight vigil and "Stop the Violence" rally held at Washington Street Park in Beaufort on Saturday afternoon.
More than 150 people attended the event, which included church and community leaders, as well as police and members of several concerned citizens groups.
As the light faded and a chill fell across the park, Steve and many others affected by violence in Beaufort County gathered to listen to more than a dozen speakers on topics such as the importance of accountability within the home, community policing and getting involved.
Steve, whose 36-year-old son has been missing since Oct. 25, said not knowing what happened to him has taken a toll on her family.
"You jump every time the phone rings," she said.
On Oct. 26, Steve called the police to report her son missing after she got a "strange call" from one of his friends. The friend told her he had been held at gunpoint by two men outside Vermon Steve's Greene Street home in Beaufort.
The friend got away, but her son has not been heard from since.
Rose Bing-Ferguson, who organized Saturday's event, said she was concerned about that incident and the increased violence in the community.
"It has to stop before another mother has to bury a child," she said.
In Beaufort County and its municipalities, there have been 13 slayings this year. That's the most in the county in at least 20 years, Sheriff's Office Capt. Bob Bromage said earlier in the week, surpassing the previous high of 12 in 2012.
It was after one of those slayings that Bing-Ferguson said God compelled her to take action.
Steven Brown was shot and killed in an Oct. 31 incident outside the Elks Lodge on Church Street. Two other men were wounded in the shooting, which remains under investigation.
"I've known Steven for many, many years," she said as she greeted people coming in through one of the park's side gates.
"When that happened, I said 'This has got to stop,'" she said. "We've got to pray and just try to bring everyone together."
In addition to numerous pastors and church leaders, members of Beaufort Strong, Citizens Against Violence Everywhere -- or C.A.V.E. -- and Concerned Citizens of Jasper County also spoke at the vigil.
"We need to be more proactive, not just reactive," said Herbert Glaze, the founder of C.A.V.E. who also spoke about the importance of parents intervening in the lives of their children.
Teens and young adults have been at the center of multiple killings and violence in Beaufort County in recent years, and what to do about the issue was widely discussed at Saturday's vigil.
Janice Steve, who now fears the worst and is "still waiting for information" about her son, said she believes the solution starts with accountability.
Parents need to question their children and not ignore the signs of "what they may be up to," she said.
"And people should not be afraid to speak out," she said. "Silence breeds violence. ... I think we give the perpetrators power when we stay silent."
Staff writer Stephen Fastenau contributed to this report.
Follow reporter Mindy Lucas at twitter.com/MindyatIPBG.
Related content:
- 2 charged in kidnapping at home of missing Beaufort man, Nov. 18, 2015
- Updated: In wake of recent violence, friends, family speak up, plan vigil in Beaufort, Dec. 3, 2015
This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 9:02 PM with the headline "More than 100 turn out for 'Stop the Violence' rally in Beaufort Saturday."