WCIA had a video segment and article available here on their illinoishomepage.net website:
Community meeting focuses on gun violence preventionMore information, including the video segment, at the full article here. Fox Illinois WCCU's coverage touched on some other issues and perspectives:
There's been a spike in gun violence in the Champaign-Urbana area this year and many are left wondering why.
Thursday night, there was a special meeting to figure out what the problem is and what can be done to make a change.
There have been four shootings the past two weekends in Champaign and dozens more gun crimes have happened this year. City leaders and people who live in both cities are saying enough is enough.
The meeting focused on three main things: People's concerns about the gun violence increase; the strengths which exist in the community for support; and actions to prevent this from happening again.
People shared their testimonies of losing family and friends and stressed why it's critical people put down the guns. It's been one shooting after another.
Preston James says, "People are scared to let their kids go out and play."
There have been 52 shootings and gun violence crimes in Champaign-Urbana so far this year. That's 18 more than this time last year. But the question remains, how can it be stopped?
Champaign County Chief Deputy Allen Jones says, "They have to go away. They have to put down the guns and stop with that attitude that it will solve our problems. We need to make sure that all of us in the community are working together to say no more."
The Champaign Community Coalition called a special meeting with city leaders, police and people who live in both cities to come up with specific solutions to make this stop. Many said people need to understand the consequences of gun violence, both for the shooter and for the people who get shot.
CU to approach increase in gun violence as a "crisis"More information along with another video segment at the full WCCU article here. Friday's News-Gazette article also listed additional ideas raised at the meeting:
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Some concerns focused on legislative and structural faults.
"It starts at the top,” said NAACP Champaign County Branch President, Minnie Pearson. “Violence starts at the top, and we are here at the bottom trying to solve the problem.”
Others, like a mother who lost her son to gun violence in the community, appealed to people’s emotions.
“A lot of them out there shooting, I don't think they know how the parent feels when the parent loses a loved one,” she said. “How the ripple effect go all the way down like a domino. How I feel every day, and you never lose the feeling of losing a loved one."
Next, strategy was put in place.
"We have a resource-rich community, we have the University of Illinois here, we have a lot of resources,” Donté Lotts said. “But why aren't we connecting those resources to the people that need them the most?"
The group brainstormed ways to use the community’s strengths to outweigh its weaknesses.
Among the other action plans pitched by the group:More News-Gazette coverage of the meeting and additional information at the full article here. Information about CU Fresh Start at their webpage here and an overview on the Cheat Sheet here.
— Taking stock of local social services programs and making efforts to avoid duplicating them.
— Having people with a gun-violence history persuade others to avoid the activity, as opposed to people who don't come from that background.
— Encouraging the University of Illinois to provide awards or incentives to employees who integrate themselves and their work in areas outside of campus.
— Advocating for a higher minimum wage that can support a family.
— Getting youth more involved with the effort and asking for their ideas.
— Making room in schools for social service programs to be provided during school time.
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