ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police say crime is down citywide, but a shooting that injured four young people in Parramore over the weekend is renewing concerns about youth violence and prevention.
What You Need To Know
Four juveniles were injured in a shooting near a Parramore restaurant over the weekend
Community leaders say mentoring and youth programs are key to preventing violence
City officials report overall crime in Orlando is down more than 20%, but more work is needed
The shooting happened near a popular restaurant in the Parramore neighborhood, Sister Soul Food, leaving four juveniles hospitalized and residents shaken. While investigators continue working to determine what led up to the incident, community leaders say the focus now is on stopping similar violence before it happens again.
For Bishop Kelvin Cobaris, the incident hit close to home.
“I am definitely appalled with what took place here in the shooting here in Parramore,” Cobaris says. “Parramore is a beautiful community, and we have worked diligently to make sure that it stays up.”
What makes this case especially troubling is that children were involved, he says.
“We’ve got to make sure that there are activities to mentor these kids, to get them off of the streets, to keep them involved in positive things,” Cobaris says.
City leaders say they are working to provide that support through multiple youth-focused programs. Orlando District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose says the city takes a “wraparound” approach to helping teens who might be at risk.
“One of the things that we’re intentional on is the full wraparound services,” Rose says. “How do we make sure we’re getting you to school? How do we make sure you’ve got clothes and food?”
Rose says those services are designed to remove barriers that can prevent students from staying engaged in school and community programs.
City officials also point to encouraging trends in overall crime. From 2023 to 2025, Orlando police report a 22% decrease in total crime. Homicides also dropped significantly, reaching their lowest level in decades.
“We only had 10 homicides, which was our lowest number recorded in 50 years,” Rose says. “Between our programming and the Orlando Police Department, there’s a true niche.”
Despite those improvements, community leaders say the shooting in Parramore shows more work remains.
Cobaris says prevention starts with strong relationships between adults, parents and young people, and with teaching teens how to manage conflict without violence.
“You’ve got to realize there’s a better way to handle conflict,” he says. “This is not a video game. If you shoot somebody and take their life, there’s no reset.”
City leaders say they plan to continue expanding youth programs and are working to establish additional middle school initiatives to reach students earlier.