Video: City Taking Steps To Reduce Gun Violence

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A house in south Tupelo house still has vivid scars from a shooting in late December at Theron Nichols Park.  A stray bullet went into the garage door, and exited on the other side of the house, striking the residence next door.

And a few days later, shots rang out in the Wal Mart parking lot on West Main Street.  Authorities say both instances started with some sort of argument, and led to gunfire.

“We are going to take steps in making our neighborhood better,” said Joseph Metcalf,  a longtime Tupelo resident, who wants to do something to stop what many perceive as a rise in violent crimes.   Metcalf is working with the city to find ways to curb gun violence.

Tupelo’s Community Outreach Coordinator believes one way to do that is finding people willing to invest in the lives of young people in troubled areas.

“We will go out into the community and actually engage in conversations, target kids who are maybe not doing anything, just hanging out, and just come up to them, let them know, hey there are people in the community who love you,you can pick up the phone, call us,” said Marcus Gary, community outreach coordinator.

Gary says small groups will visit on a regular basis with teenagers and young adults, showing them positive role models.

“We want them to feel comfortable in talking to us, we want them to open up to us, but we don’t want to come off like, (shakes finger) you know, you’re bad,  or anything like that, we want to engage, comfort and show love, we also want to get those guns off of the street,” Gary said.

Organizers know that developing those type of relationships will take time, and a lot of work from many volunteers, but they also know it’s an investment in the future.

All of the recent shootings in Tupelo have involved either teenagers, or young adults.    For more information on the initiative to reduce gun violence, call 662 687 4132