State and local leaders came together with concerned residents at McLevy Green Wednesday in reaction to the recent fatal shooting of 22-year-old Karla Bermudez, who died while sleeping at her boyfriend's house.

She was also six months pregnant and the unborn child did not survive the shooting. Police say Bermudez was not the apparent target, but her boyfriend.

The group of state and local leaders say every murder should command equal attention, and that this one is getting more because "two lives were lost."

They're calling on each and every member of the Bridgeport community to take an active stance against senseless violence by ending the cycle of death.

Leaders say they're taking action to prevent more slayings now.

"You can't kill someone because you're mad at their girlfriend, or because you're the boyfriend, your life is worth more than that and so is theirs. I know the streets are tough. Most of us are from there. And we understand, and we understand, but we made a choice to become people that are helpful in our community, to stand up and against things like this," says Wayne Winston, vice president of the Caribbean World Chamber of Commerce.

Police say the gunfire apparently came from a group of men who were standing outside the boyfriend's house on Washington Terrace.