CINCINNATI — Four Cincinnati teenagers spoke about how gun violence has directly affected them during a panel discussion on the issue. The talk was moderated by a UC senior who grew up around violence in Cincinnati, with much of the crowd gun violence victims themselves.
GRO Community organized "Voices Unlocked: Youth Speak Truth on Gun Violence" to facilitate an honest conversation that, hopefully, would bring about solutions ahead of an expected summer surge in shootings.
Cincinnati police data shows an annual increase in shooting victims reported from April through June.
Alphonso North, 15, said it was important to speak at the forum as he was shot in the leg in East Price Hill in November. He told us that living with the threat of gun violence at any time was hard to live with.
"It's like, you've got to watch over your shoulder," North said. "It feels like you don't want to do that because you're a kid at the end of the day. I'm only 15 and I've got to watch over my shoulder. I don't want to do that."
WATCH: We talk solutions with Cincinnati teens and anti-violence advocates
GRO Community Program Manager Jordan Johnson said conversations like Thursday's are critical for people to hear the problems affecting specific communities. He said different groups can join forces to develop solutions to each problem.
"I believe we have to consolidate to have a more effective effort. That's what I saw here tonight," Johnson said.
The teens on the panel added their own solutions to the pot of ideas.
They suggested adding grocery stores to areas where healthy foods are hard to access, building infrastructure like community gardens in neighborhoods, giving kids greater access to programs to keep them busy and making more jobs available for Cincinnati's young people.
Actor Charleston White served as the forum's keynote speaker. He suggested a comprehensive approach to ending gun violence, beginning inside the home.
"Our violence starts in our homes, not in our hearts," White said.
Moderator Cameron Johnson said he hoped the event would serve as one in a series of events focused on keeping people safe from guns.
"If you get the whole city involved, I feel that will really change the dynamic of gun violence," said Johnson. "I hope today is a stepping stone."
