AUSTIN (KXAN) — Community members in east Austin held a workshop to educate children about gun violence, hoping to counter recent situations where teens have been hurt in shootings.
The workshop was organized through grassroot nonprofits We Can Now, Urban-Alchemy and Hungry Hill Foundation, as well as some faculty from Huston-Tillotson University.
In 2022, 74 juveniles were suspects in gun-related crimes, including murder, assaults, and robberies, according to Austin Police Department data.
Antony Jackson, the founder and CEO of We Can Now, says holding a seminar educating kids about guns is pivotal to reducing gun violence, especially in underserved communities. They taught them the basics of guns -- like how to tell if the safety is on -- and what to do if they're around a gun. They also discussed making good choices about who to hang out with.
"There's been some tragic things that's happened in our city lately with kids and youth playing with guns and getting killed," Jackson said. "Bringing the community together to be educated about gun violence and gun prevention is super important."
Such instances of gun violence is something teenager Isaiah Pleasant experienced recently.
"I was at a block party, and they started shooting out of nowhere," Pleasant said. "It was real scary.
Those who came filled out a survey facilitated by faculty from Huston-Tillotson University to better understand how safe they feel, if they or people they know have experienced nonviolent crimes in the community and what they have done in response.
"We want to make sure any interventions that we recommend make sense for the community that is being impacted," said Amanda Messino, a professor from Huston-Tillotson University.
