SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — Tallahassee city and county officials, law enforcement, school board members and community organizations gathered on Perry Street Tuesday with a call for change, demanding less talk and more action to stop gun violence.
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Tallahassee leaders demand action on gun violence as students say change must start in the home
The gathering came three days after a mass shooting on Perry Street near Bragg Memorial Stadium left 12 people injured. Eleven were shot, and another was hurt while running from the scene. Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with the shooting.
“Many of us have come to these same types of conversations before we’ve heard promises ad nauseam,” one community leader said.
While community leaders talk about solutions, 17-year-old James West Jr. says students are having conversations of their own. He told me the shooting is all over school and social media, with rumors and differing opinions spreading among students.
West says gun violence is personal to him because he lost a cousin to gun violence in 2019. He believes the way children are raised and whether parents stay involved can make a difference.
“I would say it comes from how they’re raised. The majority of stuff that come up with our youth and their mentality of how they do things, the majority of how they raise, how they raise themselves, or if parents weren’t involved, it’s all about how they grew up,” West said.
West says he’s found guidance through a youth mentoring program that helped him build leadership skills and find positive friendships. He wants more adults to check on young people, listen to what they’re going through and give them activities and opportunities outside of parties.
That kind of community support is what Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter says local government needs to help provide.
“I recognize that we’ve been here before and the city needs to do more and step up. I think that that’s clear to me. We have the greatest resources in this city and can be a convener for the people who are doing the work and who need your support,” Porter said.
Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor says Tuesday’s gathering is about showing the community that its leaders stand with them.
“There’s a lot going on so to bring community leaders to put their social credit cards on the line to say that number one we stand with our community continue to believe in our community we believe in Florida and university. We want it to continue its walk,” Proctor said.
Proctor says the call was for unity and accountability, and change is coming soon, hopefully with FAMU joining the effort in a new way.
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