‘You don’t hate your neighbor.’ Fort Worth program aims to reduce rising teen gun violence
Councilman Chris Nettles said he’s scared that when his teenage son leaves the house, he might not come back home.
Speaking to students at Polytechnic High School on Tuesday, Nettles said when he sees news reports of the Fort Worth youth who have been killed by gun violence, he’s worried for his son, and worries for the students in the room.
“You might not be mature enough today to understand how important your life is,” he said. “But there’s someone who cares a whole lot about you.”
With teenage gun violence on the rise in Fort Worth, Nettles and the Fort Worth school district are leading a violence intervention initiative that was kicked off by Tuesday’s speaking event.
Spearheaded by Nettles, the event consisted of community leaders, violence prevention advocates and police officers talking about the consequences of gun violence to Polytechnic students.
Melinda Hamilton, founder of Mothers of Murdered Angels, warned students that once they pick up a gun, they’re no longer treated like a child in the eyes of the law.
Ronny Mitchell, founder of Unity Over Violence, said every single student has an opportunity to better themselves, but death will cut that potential.
“Take this opportunity to love your neighbor,” he said. “You don’t hate your neighbor. You don’t hate your fellow classmate.”
The event also included speeches from Nettles and Fort Worth police officers.
Nettles said the program will have a more extensive roll-out next school year, but he felt the urge to begin the speaking events before summer vacation.
He said incidents of gun violence that have led to deaths around the city have urged him to start the intervention program.
Tarrant County has lost at least 101 young people of middle- or high-school age to gun violence since 2016, and the pace of killings has been on the rise since the pandemic began, according to a recent Star-Telegram investigation.
In March, 24 of 53 juvenile cases in Tarrant County’s detention center were for murder or capital murder.
“I felt like if we could get into the school districts and have an assembly and speak to them directly, then give examples of mothers who lost their kids, then me speaking to them, it’ll change their mindset,” Nettles said.
The partnership also includes Fort Worth VIP, Andrew D.S. Kirkland with Tree of Life Funeral Home and other community and faith-based leaders.
Nettles said they’re planning speaking events at Dunbar High School and Everman High School before the end of the school year.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 3:21 PM.
