With unanswered question clouding last month’s police shooting death of 25-year-old Kordell Jones, a group of community activists and Jones’ own family gathered at a church Monday to call for an end to gun violence, and to begin plotting strategies.

“There comes a time when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired, and you got to do something about it,” said the Rev. Marvin Charles Lue Jr., senior pastor at Stewart Memorial CME Church, who led the meeting at Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church adjacent to Interstate 10.

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“This is not a time to compromise because the cause cannot be compromised,” Lue said. “We cannot afford to compromise at this moment.”

The 45-minute meeting hosted by Faith in Action Alabama Mobile Hub was highlighted by a six-point “call to action” that included an overarching goal to end gun violence in Mobile, and to demand more transparency from police into the investigation of Jones’ death.

The group also called for additional programs to improve police-community relations, and the release of police-worn body cameras during their encounter with Jones. Police, so far, have declined to release the cameras as the Jones shooting remains under investigation.

Next steps

In addition, the group plotted out their next steps which will include physically attending Mobile City Council meetings, speaking at those meetings, and researching actions that can be addressed by local and county officials.

The meeting took place one day after a mass shooting in Dadeville – about 45 minutes away from Montgomery – that occurred during a Sweet 16 birthday party leaving four people killed, and 32 injured.

The Dadeville shooting, which has captured national attention, was not mentioned during the meeting. But general gun violence in Mobile, which continues on a routine basis, was one of the meeting’s main focuses. A rally to end gun violence in Mobile is scheduled for June 4, and some attendees are also calling on pastors to get more involved in the neighborhoods that surround their churches.

“What we need mostly in this community is God,” said Elnora Orr of Mobile. “We need to pray for guidance, wisdom and how to talk to our children. We got to tell them you don’t need to turn around and get into a fight with your brother and then turn around and shoot him.”

She added, “Black on Black crime is the worst crime in Mobile. A child getting mad at another child (and shooting them). The devil is walking to and from this earth and trying to see who he can divide and who he can make do this.”

Police shooting

The meeting also focused on Jones’ death, which remains under investigation by Mobile police. No additional details about the shooting have been released since an initial news conference three days after it happened.

Jones was shot and killed while a Mobile police SWAT team was attempting to execute a search warrant at 856 Charles St., related to a robbery investigation involving his brother, Jason Jones.

A 2016 graduate of B.C. Rain High School, Jones was shot and killed while police attempted “to put everyone on notice” inside the house in an attempt to get them to leave in an orderly fashion. Six people reportedly complied and left the home after authorities attempted to gain access by the front door through an “energized breach method” that created a loud boom and rattled the neighborhood south of downtown Mobile.

Lue said activists will request Mobile officials to enact a moratorium on no knock warrants and explosive devices that force entry into residences within Mobile and Mobile County.

Jones, according to police, leapt through a rear window and was completely nude and armed with an AR-style rifle he legally owned after police gained entry. Jones was shot dead by a SWAT officer, after an unnamed officer shot him four times.

Family members including Jones’ mother, Monica; sister, LaKenda; and aunt, Debra Mosley, attended the meeting and vowed to be more active.

“This meeting was very powerful,” said Mosley. “It’s a powerful call to action for Kordell Jones and others who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence in the city of Mobile and county of Mobile. Moving forward, change is going to happen.”

Lue said the goal is to ensure that the group’s actions “have a purpose.”

“We are not going to get up and just talk,” he said. “It has to have a meaning behind it.”

Cpl. Katrina Frazier, spokeswoman with the Mobile Police Department, said her agency was unaware of the gathering and were unable to attend due to the “ongoing investigation and our desire to respect the legal process that must take place through the judicial system.”

The shooting is also being investigated by the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office.

“Nevertheless, we fully support the community’s efforts to end gun violence and honor Kordell Jones,” said Frazier. “We recognize the importance of events such as these in creating positive change toward a more peaceful society.”