BATON ROUGE – Lawmakers, clergy and activists will gather Saturday in an effort to encourage peace ahead of an expected announcement by the federal government related to the shooting death of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge Police last year.

The effort this weekend is spearheaded by state lawmaker, Rep. C. Denise Marcelle. Marcelle will host the event at the Triple S Food Mart where Sterling was shot on North Foster Drive at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“We decided to get out in front of this decision… it's always better to lead the people before potential problems occur,” Marcelle said in a statement Friday evening.

Marcelle added she hoped for a peaceful outcome following any decision by the Justice Department.

The federal government has been investigating whether Sterling's civil rights were violated when he was shot and killed by two Baton Rouge Police officers in July 2016. A federal announcement would also reveal whether the officers would face criminal charges.

While the federal government has not discussed its decision or said when it might be revealed, Congressman Cedric Richmond pointed to the decision being made Tuesday. Richmond discussed the decision in a letter sent to the Justice Department, expressing frustration with what he perceives as a secret plan. Richmond argued there should be more transparency in when the decision will be made.

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