SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It seems after news of every mass shooting in America, communities ask the same question: what practical solutions are there to prevent gun violence?
As of Monday afternoon, Sacramento Police have not said whether the early Sunday morning shooting in downtown Sacramento was related in any way to gangs. Still, community leaders say, whatever the reason – gun violence is unacceptable and there are some practical steps to take.
Sacramento has seen positive results in the past. In 2018 and 2019, the city had zero youth homicides.
Chet Hewitt, president and CEO of the Sierra Health Foundation, said “that's something that we haven't seen in the 30 years that we've been collecting data, so we know that many interventions can really stem the tide.”
He said youth programs - like those operated through the Black Child Legacy Campaign – are not only supporting young people but also building bridges between communities, which can help prevent violence.
“A great city takes care of its children,” Hewitt said.
Kenneth Duncan is the founder and CEO of Ball Out Academy, which offers mentoring and free basketball programs to young people in the Sacramento area. At a recent March Madness basketball tournament for young people through Black Child Legacy Campaign – Oak Park, Duncan told ABC10 that youth programs bring together kids from other neighborhoods.
“Let’s say later you run into a guy at a party, a dance or whatever and they’re from a different neighborhood and somebody’s upset,” Duncan said. “‘No, I played basketball with that dude at March Madness or Kings and Queens Rise,’ or, ‘we were in Black Boys Build together,’ so now we’re building brotherhoods between neighborhoods and really just taking down those barriers and making sure we’re trying to lower the crime rate here in Sacramento.”
In seeing a surge of gun violence, Sacramento isn’t alone. Nationally, gun violence has gone up during the pandemic, according to the Gun Violence Archive—an independent data collection and research group.
Some are working to combat gun violence through lobbying, like the national group Moms Demand Action. ABC10 spoke with local advocate Rosemary Yoshikawa.
“The last couple of weeks we have been talking to lawmakers across the state about support ‘gun sense’ bills,” Yoshikawa said. “In addition to that work, we work with community groups – the groups that actually do the work in the communities, like Advance Peace, Movement 4 Life, the Stephon Clark family.”
As community groups work to prevent gun violence, leaders say it’s also important to support those who have already been devastated by it.
The California Victim Compensation Board offers money to victims and their family for expenses related to violent crime, including medical bills, therapy and funeral costs.
As Jessica Cárdenas with Lao Family Community Development said, “these medical bills are going to be very expensive. Just letting them know, like, ‘Hey, you don’t have to go through this alone; there's a whole agency out there that can help you.’…so, you know, you're not being overwhelmed while you're still trying to process this event."
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Ms. Ahisha Lewis, founding director of A Different Path, said, “It is OK to not be OK. You do not have to wear the mask. However, what you do have to do is learn how to be present and…make sure that those emotions that you are experiencing aren't being projected out in an unhealthy manner, in a matter of retaliation.”
She explained how gun violence impacts entire communities.
“There are no wins here. Someone is grieving the loved one they have lost. Someone is wounded. Someone witnessed it,” Lewis said. “As a professional, I have to be present in it. As a community advocate, I have to speak to it.”
The community is welcome to attend a vigil at 7:30 p.m. Monday evening at Ali Youssefi Square, at Seventh and K streets in downtown Sacramento. Mayor Darrell Steinberg and other community leaders will be there as well.
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