Students gathered to remember Angelo “Marcel” Johnson and call for an end to violence on Nov. 22. The rally organized by the Black Student Union (BSU) included musical performances and speeches given by Johnson’s family and members of the BSU. The speakers shared the common message of asking people to open their eyes and not be afraid to speak up when they see violence happening in their community.

The event was emotional. Many people were hugging and crying, remembering their lost friend. The crowd gathered on the steps of building 8, as speakers pleaded for an end to violence, in particular, gun violence. They talked about the need to get the guns out of the communities, take the initiative to go into communities where gun violence is a problem and teach people the dangers of guns or how to use them as a tool.

“I hope this will open up the eyes of people,” Anthony Johnson, father of Angelo, said when asked what would come of the rally. “I am hoping that people, when they see things, won’t be so hushed mouthed because I believe that this is the only way that this [violence] is going to stop. If people speak up it will make a big difference.”

He implored people not to be quiet about what they see. He continued by saying, “Marcel was a very peaceful person; he would love it [the rally]. He would love the people that are here. Everyone he met, he loved and he trusted. Sometimes, I think that was a bad thing to do, but then again, I am the same way.”

Johnson said he remembered how good of a person his son was, and how much he loved life, and the people in his life. The police have few leads in the shooting death of Angelo Johnson, but the case is still open and being investigated.

“They are doing the best that they can do. I don’t believe that they always do the best that they do, especially when its people of color killing in their own communities – because they feel that it is inevitable – they feel that they are gang bangers which my son was not,” Johnson said when asked about the investigation. “Mr. Mahoney [the investigator] is really doing the best that he can do, and I truly believe that with all my heart.”

The rally closed with Marcel’s family, friends, and fellow students calling for an end to the violence. People mourned over photos of Marcel, laughed as they shared stories about him, and cried as they missed him.