"What do we want? Peace!" Children chant in city streets to put an end to Milwaukee's violence



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- An unexpected group of people are demanding an end to Milwaukee's violence -- children. From ages 3 to 15, kids marched the city's streets on Friday, April 24th, for peace.

Echoing through a Milwaukee neighborhood near 64th and Capitol is a powerful message, made even more compelling by who's behind it.

"We're marching around the neighborhood saying we want peace and we want to play outside as a school," said 8th grader, Daeleon Brown-Williams.

Children of Blessed Savior South were stopped along busy Capitol Drive with their signs of 'Guns Destroy Lives" and "We Want to Play Outside" -- they drew a lot of attention, including Timmeco Fells.

Earlier this week, Fells' cousin was shot during a carjacking at 50th and Locust.

"It was like they were speaking up for her. Because my cousin's mother was like we got to do something, something needs to be done," said Fells.

"We feel they can really make a difference even if they're 5 years old of if they're 15 years old," said Patricia Wilkum, Principal of Blessed Savior South.

The school's principal says this was their idea after seeing so much violence around them, they wanted to make a change.

"Our cook, her daughter Layla Peterson was shot, that was national news, we've had violence happen in our school. Unfortunately, that was very difficult for everyone. So the children know. They live with some of these things," said Wilkum.

Besides taking their message to the streets, they also held a rally.

"Do we want people to hurt each other? No! What do we want? Peace!" chanted the children.

And whether it was through poems, dance, or art, their mission was one and the same -- peace.

"I don't want there to be violence in the world," said 6-year-old, Alaylah Lee.

And it doesn't stop here. The principal is giving each kid a peace petition, in hopes of continuing this conversation at home.

Fells said her cousin, again the victim of the 50th and Locust shooting and carjacking, has a long road ahead of her, but is recovering in the hospital.