Lillie Howard: “many ills”
NEWBURGH – Residents of Newburgh Friday evening gathered at the
site of the city’s latest murder, its fourth this year, to call
for an end to the violence in the city.
Sammy Stubbs, 67, was playing cards with two other men at about 1:30 a.m.
on Thursday when all three were shot. Stubbs died; the other two men were
wounded.
Among those who spoke was life-long Newburgh resident Lillie Howard, who
lost her own grandson to violence, said what she sees in Newburgh “weighs
heavy on my heart.”
Howard, a vocal community civil rights activist, said the killing must
stop.
“The people have to learn to love one another and they have to be
willing to say, ‘he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.’
We have to recognize that. There are many ills in Newburgh that need to
be addressed and until they are, nothing is ever going to change,”
she said. “It’s a sad indictment on the church in this community.”
Howard was joined by her son, Omari Shakur, a Democratic mayoral candidate,
and more than a dozen others at the site of the latest shooting at South
Lander Street and Courtney Avenue.
Police continue to investigate the shootings.
