Lacey history this week 1993

More than a thousand community residents gathered at St. Martin’s Worthington Center to protest the killing of 13-year old Larry Rodgers who had been stabbed to death a few days earlier in a gang-related incident on Lacey streets.

Lacey mayor Jon Halvorson presided over the meeting and heard from dozens of concerned parents and community members that something needed to be done to stop the spread of gang activities.  Community leaders such as Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney Bernardean Broadous, North Thurston School Superintendent Dave Steele, Lacey Police Chief John Mansfield and many other community leaders pledged a community-wide effort to fight gangs and gang violence

From that meeting and the work of the Lacey community came an organization called “Stop the Violence”  – – as well as other efforts such as developing a statement of community values and an organized effort to work together on the problem.

In its own way, the death of Larry Rodgers and the reaction to that death helped residents realize they were all part of a greater Lacey community.