Call for justice: Dozens rally in Homewood for peace

PITTSBURGH — A mother’s pain led her and dozens of other people to rally in Homewood to bring peace back to their neighborhood.

Diana Broadnax lost her son Demetrius in October of 2013 after a shooting in Homewood, an incident that also killed Jasmine Morris.

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Nearly two years later, no arrests have been made in the case.

But that hasn’t stopped Broadnax from calling for justice for her son.

“We live this pain,” she told supporters at the rally. “The mothers here who’ve lost their children, we live this pain!”

The biggest message she hoped to convey, Broadnax said, is that people must partner with police and politicians if they ever want to see change.

“The biggest problem is the detective cannot do anything if the community does not talk,” she said.

Valerie Dixon helped organize the rally, which included a balloon release at the end to commemorate the lives lost.

Dixon agreed with Broadnax and said it’s time to end the culture of silence when it comes to crime in local communities.

“Let the community know that you need to step up,” she said. “It’s up to us to solve these crimes.”

Demetrius Broadnax was a father himself when the 27-year-old was shot and killed in 2013. The other victim, Jasmine Morris, was a young mother and 21-years-old.

WPXI