![Dennis Williams was among the participants holding signs during the hour-long rally against violence Monday afternoon. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com Pastor Harding Smith and his Minnesota Acts Now organization held a rally to to denounce violence at the corner of Chicago and Franklin Aves. in Minneapolis Monday afternoon, July 27, 2015.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QBEAGRUNFR4LMMKHJZLHW4RTGI.jpg?&w=1080)
Community activists rallied Monday at a south Minneapolis intersection that has been the scene of recent shootings to decry a rash of gun violence that has bloodied streets across the city this summer.
There have been 29 homicides so far this year in Minneapolis. Over the last few months, the number of murders has continued to outpace the same period last year.
The Rev. Harding Smith, of nonprofit organization Minnesota Acts Now, was joined by a small group of protesters near Peavey Park as they held signs that read, "Stop the killings," "Support our fight against gun violence" and other slogans.
"Even though these are small steps with these signs that we have, it's a step in the right direction," Smith said. "It's a positive step saying, 'We are tired. We are sick and we are fed up with these murders.' "
On Saturday around 10:20 p.m., police found two men who had been shot near Franklin and Chicago avenues. Both were taken to the hospital and later died. No arrests have been made.
Last month, a woman and her 15-month-old daughter were shot and injured during an afternoon walk by Peavey Park.
On Monday morning, gunfire after midnight near 34th and Morgan avenues N. left another man dead. Police said people in two vehicles were in a dispute and had pulled over and shot at each other.
Smith said that many of the shootings are happening because people are retaliating after other violence.
