LYNN — Stop The Violence’s 5th Annual Peace Walk will honor Lynn shooting victim, Romel Danis, and his family.
Beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, those interested in participating in the walk will gather at High Rock Tower, 30 Circuit Ave. The walk, starting promptly at 4 p.m., will end at the Lynn Commons gazebo where food and entertainment will be provided. More than 500 free T-shirts honoring Danis and words of appreciation from his family will also be at the gazebo.
“Romel was a very personable kid,” said Jhonny Bryan, Danis’ brother. “He was charismatic and would connect with anyone, whether they were good, bad, or ugly. He made everyone feel at home and treated them equally.”
Just after 2 a.m. on June 23, a triple shooting near 65 Lawton Ave. in Lynn killed 25-year-old Danis and injured two other men in their early 20s, according to police reports. Officers were around the corner responding to complaints of loud music at a party when they heard the gunshots.
The two shooting suspects, 18-year-old Victor Figueroa-Flores and an unidentified 16-year-old juvenile, reportedly lay in wait by a pickup truck before firing their weapons that Saturday morning, according to a statement made by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Doherty-Wirwicz in Lynn District Court during Flores’ arraignment on June 29.
Three months after his death, Danis’ name has not been forgotten. Stop the Violence, a community group that continuously fights to keep peace in the city, has been working with Danis’ family to honor his memory. Two months ago, he was honored during the Puerto Rican Festival parade in Boston and this Saturday he’ll be honored once again as the face of the Peace Walk.
“I feel proud about what they are doing for my son,” said Pastora Silverio, Danis’ mother. “Every day I feel stronger and it is because of everything the community has done for me.”
Silverio said the walk and the conversations that have continued after the death of her son are important for her because she enjoys seeing the community rally together. She hopes the city will take what happened that night, as well as all the other nights where violence has taken a life, and make a change.
“I don’t want any other mothers to be like me, to lose a son like that,” said Silverio. “It’s hard.”
The walk will tour through Lawton Avenue and take a moment at the scene where Danis was killed. Silverio and Bryan said it will be hard to pass there given the memories, but they hope it will be a way to show the community that the violence needs to stop.
“I am happy they are honoring him still because, like I said before, I feel he was very innocent and didn’t deserve to pass in that type of manner,” said Bryan. “I’m also happy his death hasn’t gone quiet and they keep continuing to talk about it.”
Antonio Gutierrez, one of the co-founders of Stop the Violence, said this is the second Peace Walk dedicated to the memory of someone killed due to gun violence. Three years ago, Ashlee Berryman, who graduated from Lynn Tech with Danis in 2012, was killed in crossfire outside of a club in Everett.
“We want to remind families we will not forget those that we have lost,” said Gutierrez. “Not only to Romel but to all the other families that have lost someone.”
Even though Stop The Violence was created in Lynn, the community project has spread to other cities. Stop The Violence: Lawrence will join Lynn as they honor Danis and his family on Saturday. Gutierrez said those who are unable to walk can head straight to the gazebo on Lynn Commons.
The co-founder said the organization’s mission is to help the community’s young people make better decisions and to help people focus on the good things in their community instead of crime. He said violence exists everywhere and cannot be stopped, but communities can help each other recover.
“I hope kids stop doing stupid things,” said Danis’ brother. “They’re losing lives, taking other lives, and everyone is hurting … I hope Lynn itself understands it needs to implement programs for kids that will keep them out of trouble.”
