Residents, business leaders unite to fight youth gun violence in Atlanta
ATLANTA - Community members came together Friday night to speak out against the deadly gun violence that broke out last Saturday on Evans Street. Two men and a 17-year-old boy were shot and killed after an argument.
Young Generation Movement Founder Julious Khalid organized the meeting to help create a safe environment for residents and businesses to gather to address the recent gun violence.
He explains to teens how important it is to ignore petty crime because it is a fast track to incarceration. "Every year that goes past, you get to spend time with your family, you don’t need the money that bad," stressed Khalid. "You get to grow out here in the real world."
MOTHER SAYS SHE FEARS FOR HER LIFE AFTER LOSING A SECOND SON TO GUN VIOLENCE
The meeting comes nearly a week after a deadly triple shooting took place outside his business, YG Urban Café. "If you can see, there’s still blood on the curb," added Khalid.
"It was a heavy day because my family was in here and when I heard those gunshots, I immediately ran to the door," recounted Khalid. "And when I went out there, and saw that young brother on the curb, I watched him take his last breath."
From teaching teens skills like eco-building, hosting holistic culinary classes, and providing mental health awareness, and financial education programs, the group aims to help youth carve out a path that strengthens every aspect of their lives.
"We came to the community to eradicate some of this violence that’s going on. For us, it was an opportunity to show the community and to highlight what we’re doing. To take this tragedy and turn it into something positive," he said.
COMMUNITY CALLS FOR CHANGE IN WAKE OF DEADLY TRIPLE SHOOTING IN ATLANTA'S WEST END
Over 2,000 youth have been through the organization's mentor program since 2012.
For more information about the Young Generation Movement, visit ygmovement.org.