Marin City holds forum to discuss issues, find solutions after police raid

MARIN CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- Marin City is in the process of healing, after losing one of its residents in the mass shooting on Halloween in Orinda. And from the massive police raids during a search for two of the shooting suspects, who were allegedly from Marin City as well.

A community forum was held at one of the town's elementary schools, in which the several dozen in attendance formed a circle and stared talking.

"We want people to feel a connection and closeness to one another. And I believe the circle represents something that is whole," says Pastor Rondall Leggett of Marin City.

Leggett is one of the community leaders trying to make the community feel whole again by getting them to open up about last Thursday's raids, when police stormed a Marin City neighborhood looking for the suspects.

Many spoke out against negative stereotypes of Marin City having problems with gangs.

"I'm hurt. I'm angry. And the reason is, as long as I have lived here, we have never, ever, ever had gangs in Marin City," shared one woman with the circle.

Others raised concerns about how the raids were conducted.

"They came in with tanks, as if all these people were dangerous. And now (the suspects who were arrested) are released! How dangerous are they?" asks Dan Daniels, with a local chapter of the NAACP.

"These police shouting at me and everybody. It's just very frightening. It disturbs me," says Nancy Hoang during her turn to share with the crowd.

The 16-year-old spoke of the trauma stemming from watching her neighbors be arrested. She says this type of forum helps young people get their message out. Many of the teachers say, they are listening.

"It is just a lot for young people to process. I remember that day. A lot of my students had fear. They had questions. It is important that things like this are held so we can get young people the answers they need," says Phillip Logan, a local teacher.

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