TOLEDO, Ohio — Young people in Toledo opened up about the recent gun violence they've witnessed this year at a pool party Saturday at Navarre Park.
This comes after a 17-year-old was killed and 11 people were shot during a block party celebrating the Fourth of July.
Many of the victims of last year's record-high homicides were young people. And that trend is continuing this year with over a third of the 30 homicides so far being people age 25 or younger.
"You don't know what's going to happen, your parents could get shot right in front of your face or one of your homies," said Nailah Ellis, who lives in central Toledo.
Concerned community members like Shay Bankston joined with Lucas County Judge Stacy Cook in listening to kids about the violence and how it can be stopped.
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Judge Cook says she's been participating in teen summits the past few years.
Often times, adults don't think about the impact the violence itself is having on the kids' daily lives. She says it influences where they go outside, when they go outside, and even how long they can stay out.
Judge Cook says many kids feel like their voice is not heard and we need to start listening to them if we're going to solve this.
"When you start to listen to children have to process, to be in fear just to go for a bike ride, that's what I started to see when I had conversations with them," said Cook. "They really just wanted to be kids. They wanted to play. They wanted to ride their bikes. They wanted to not fear that they could get shot. So it's not just an adult problem, it's a kid problem."
Kids say the reality for them is it's more normal now to hear and see gun violence in their communities than to not and they don't even have to be involved.
"Even know you could be innocent and just minding your business, a random person can come up with a gun and shoot them," said one of the young people at the party. "Or they try to shoot at a certain person and they miss and they hit someone else."
Bankston says many of the kids say they feel ignored and forgotten because of how they grew up, many in poverty. They believe there's not enough positive programs and encouragement to help them chase their dreams and reach their full potential. Bankston says more long-term funding is needed.
"It's not enough to just come in and do a program, or you know, pass out resources," said Bankston, "you need to have the funding to support programs that have a long-lasting impact."
Ellis says kids should be home before dark and parents need to know where their children are. The conversation needs to continue to create that change.
"As long as we have that mindset of getting better and trying to get this pandemic over and gun violence away, then y'all got it," said Ellis.
Bankston plans to hold another pool event next month to continue hearing from young people about gun violence. She believes this generation is facing things they never had did and the only way to find out what they are is to listen.
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