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Hundreds at rally demand justice for slain 12-year-old Paterson girl – The Star

PATERSON—  Hundreds shouted Genesis Rincon’s name in front of city hall on Tuesday, turning the slain 12-year-old’s name into a rallying cry for an end to rampant violence in Paterson.

Four days after Genesis Rincon was killed in front of her sister and friends in the Fourth Ward, at least 300 people swarmed in front of city hall, spilling partially into the streets and chanting loud enough for council members meeting inside city hall to hear. The event was more rally than vigil, featuring impassioned cries from family members, community members and city officials to end violence in the city and to find the person who shot Rincon.

Standing in front of the massive crowd, Rincon’s father, Alexis Rincon, cried as rally attendees shouted his first-born’s name. His family huddled together, some wearing “Justice for Genesis” hats and carrying posters adorning the girl’s face and name.

“Look what you did to my family!” Alexis Rincon said after his other daughter, also named Alexis, spoke to the crowd. “I’m not scared. These streets are ours. We need to walk out of here freely, not scared.” Then he added a message for those who shot Rincon: “You can’t kill us all.”

It was an emotional scene, made slightly chaotic at times by the volume of the crowd and the fact that, at one point, Rincon’s mother fainted. She was quickly taken inside city hall to get some air.

Rev. Della Fischer, who has acted as a spokesperson for the Rincon family, gave one of the most energetic speeches of the night, pointing out that Genesis saved the lives of five people, including a four-month-old baby who received her liver and a 14-year-old boy, who now has her heart. Fischer said that Genesis’ death needs to be a catalyst for change in Paterson.

“She will be the beginning of our end,” she said, referencing the 12-year-old’s biblical name.

As the rally continued, Rincon’s family went inside city hall to speak to council members and the mayor. Alexis Rincon angrily spoke about how the city has changed since his childhood, and how he doesn’t feel safe raising his children in Paterson.

“I’m planning on leaving Paterson, and never looking back,” he said. “I hate this town.”

But, in the same breath, he said he’s determined to fight for creating a safer city.

“I’m going to make a movement,” he said. “I’m going to take our Paterson back.”

After family and council members spoke, Paterson Mayor Jose Torres said that he’d pursue the imposition of a curfew, as well as ordinances aimed at violent “hot spots” in the city. He said that the crowd outside city hall was indicative of the city’s desire for reform.

“This is a call to action, and we will not stand still,” he said. “Doing nothing is not an option.”

Rincon and two friends were on their way to a family gathering on Saturday when she was shot in the head on Rosa Parks Boulevard near Warren Street, according to police. The incident followed the shooting of a 26-year-old in the same area on Saturday morning. Authorities are investigating whether or not the shootings are related. Police do not believe Rincon was the intended target.

She was officially pronounced dead at 11:20 a.m. on Monday, said Passaic County Assistant Prosecutor Jason Statuto. After the shooting, she was declared brain-dead, and doctors kept her on life support, so her family could finalize plans to donate her organs. She was subsequently removed from life support on Monday, Statuto said.

Tuesday’s rally was the latest display of how Rincon’s death has jolted some residents in the Fourth Ward, considered the city’s most violent district. Community members set up a makeshift memorial near the shooting site on Monday, following a rally on Sunday.

“All this needs to stop,” said Nicole King, a Fourth Ward resident who attended Tuesday rally. “”My son is 16, and I don’t let him go anywhere without me. After all this, something needs to be done.”

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