West Point community leaders work to limit youth gun violence

Preventing gun violence is much easier said than done

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- Preventing gun violence is much easier said than done. Recent tragedies have some people speaking out and taking action where they can.

Friday, June 3, 2022  is national gun violence awareness day and in West Point the mayor, police chief, and sheriff will be helping one lady spread awareness in Sally Kate Winters Park.

Reita Humphries knows too well the pain and change gun violence can bring. She lost her son in a shooting.

“My family has been impacted by gun violence and I thought it would be befitting for us to do something to this nature,” said Humphries.

Now, she is chanelling that pain into action.

“The purpose of this event is to bring awareness and to honor those victims and survivors of gun violence and spotlighting gun safety,” said Reita Humphries.

Police Chief Avery Cook hopes it will bring attention to a disturbing trend he’s seen in his city.

“It’s mostly young teenagers. We have more teenagers carrying guns than we ever had in the past,” said Cook.

Over the last couple of weeks Cook said he’s taken multiple guns off the streets and it’s all been from juveniles.

He and Mayor Rod Bobo are just two city leaders looking to help Humphries in her efforts to limit youth crime.

“We have to get people to put these guns down. So the extent that the city is participating is we proclaimed that weekend as national gun violence awareness and we’re going to turn the fountain here orange,” said Bobo.

“It will be very instrumental for the city and for us as law enforcement. It will draw attention and draw awareness and get people to think about gun violence and try to put an end to it,” Cook.

“It would be wonderful it would be our community coming together for a purpose and the purpose is to end gun violence,” said Humphries.

The Gun violence awareness event kicks off on Friday at 6 p.m. at the fountain here behind me.