Dallas community members host youth violence listening session following school shooting
Dallas community leaders speak on local youth gun violence
Students will return to campus for the first time since the five people were shot during a school shooting last Tuesday. Before the students' arrival, the group of concerned community leaders spoke to a select audience to brainstorm how to inspire change in the youth.
A week after the Wilmer Hutchins High School shooting, a group of community leaders met to discuss youth violence in Dallas as students are expected back on campus tomorrow.
Local perspective:
The school shooting is affecting people at Wilmer-Hutchins, as a group of community leaders have said gun violence is out of control throughout North Texas, and they’re brainstorming change.
Students are set to return to campus on Wednesday, for the first time since the school shooting last Tuesday.
Before the students' arrival, the group of concerned community leaders spoke to a select audience to brainstorm how to inspire change in the youth.
Bruce Carter is leading the conversation and says the focus is to present real solutions to address the "ongoing issue of senseless violence affecting black males between ages 12 and 26."
Bruce Carter
What they're saying:
"If you’re a parent, and you have a black male between the ages of 12 and 26, your options are that they make it, they don’t make it, or they go to prison. These two are winning," said Carter. "You can’t ‘metal detector’ yourself out of this problem. You can’t put resource officers at every door because you don’t have that capacity."
Anthony Preston is a North Texas private track coach and has a few students at Wilmer Hutchins High School.
Anthony Preston (left) and Charles Hines (right)
"I don’t think any of these kids right now are ever telling us the truth about what they’re feeling, or thinking. And I think that’s the problem. They tell us they’re O.K. when they’re not O.K." said Preston. "It’s a melting pot of violence."
Coach Preston believes there is no singular solution but says something has to change. He mentioned one of his 16-year-old athletes who’s he had recently lost a friend to gun violence.
"His funeral was last Thursday," said student, Charles Hines.
The backstory:
17-year-old Tracy Haynes Jr, the accused school shooter, remains in jail. On Monday, a judge refused to lower his $3.1 million bond. Haynes’ defense team claims he feared for his life because members of the 5k gang were threatening him and his family.
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Wilmer-Hutchins H.S. shooting suspect's $3.1M bond won’t be reduced
A judge denied a request to lower the $3.1 million bond for the 17-year-old Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting suspect.
Dallas ISD police identified another student who opened a side door to let Haynes into the school.
Last year, another shooting happened at Wilmer Hutchins. In the wake of that shooting, Dallas ISD police revealed security protocols were not followed. The suspect triggered a metal detector, but no one checked his bag.
What's next:
This collective also discusses asking elected leaders for funding of non-traditional violence deterrence methods.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by interviews conducted at the Youth Violence listening session.