‘We can’t do anything if we’re dead,’ 9-year-old says in response to deadly gun violence

There is a group of young people taking an active role, some would say a leading role, in searching for solutions to stop the gun violence that has devastated the area of late.

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“Because we are the future, we can do amazing things but they’re killing us and we can’t do anything if we’re dead,” 9-year-old Avery Renier said Wednesday.

Renier was among approximately 150 young people involved in the Young Scholars program. Corinthian Baptist Church was one of three locations hosting the program.

The gathering included a public display of young people from pre-k through fifth-grade taking to the streets to chant positive messages and hold up posters they made displaying positive messages for the community to see.

“What do we want? Stop gun violence!” approximately 30 Young Scholars chanted as they lined a sidewalk on James H. McGee Boulevard.

“What is important? Stop gun violence!” they chanted, relaying a simple message that many drivers responded to by honking their horns in support.

The effort is the direct response to the most recent spate of gun violence to scar the area last week: Eight shootings, 19 victims, 5 deaths -- most of who were young people.

Young Scholars program organizers are working to instill emotional maturity and conflict resolution skills.

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“I’m excited because we have to break the cycle, our job is to educate the children, they come with a lot of issues,” Benjamin Speare-Hardy said.

Another organizer, Dione Benson, said, " We focus on social and emotional learning, we want to show the children how to build positive relationships.”

Congregants at Corinthian have experienced the pain of gun violence in14 year old Corey Prater, one of two teenagers shot dead in the same incident.

“I don’t understand all these guns in our community,” a congregant, Mrs. Garcia, told News Center 7. “We must deal with the issue.”

Meantime, the young people will continue doing what they can to being an end to the deadly gun violence.

“Stop gun violence!” they chanted. “What do we want? Stop gun violence!″

They’re are hoping the community will follow their lead.

NOTE: The Young Scholars is a six-week program that has one week remaining in this year’s summer camp. Young people are involved at Corinthian and St. John’s, where they all have been focusing not only on social issues such as gun violence but tackling academic work as well.