GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – Just days after the city hosted a gun violence prevention summit, a Gainesville 16-year-old died after being shot.
The juvenile was shot on Aug. 10 at the Woodland Park Apartments at 1900 SE 4 St. in Gainesville. The teen was then taken to UF Health Shands Hospital where he died from the injuries.
The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) is currently investigating the shooting. Police urge anyone who may have information about the incident to call 352-955-1818 or 352-372-7867 (local Crime Stoppers).
This case is far from the first in recent years. In the past year alone, Gainesville has seen 154 shooting incidents. That’s 23 more than the previous 2021-22 year when there were 131, according to a GPD report. This includes 10 firearm homicides like the one on Thursday.
As a result, gun violence has quickly become a burning issue in local government. On Feb. 2 this year, the Gainesville City Commission unanimously agreed gun violence is a public health crisis in the city.
In response to what they call a “rising tide of gun violence,” the City of Gainesville held an community summit on Aug. 6 and 7, just days before the city’s most recent deadly shooting.
The Choose Peace: Gun Violence Must Cease summit had an estimated 400 attendees. Registration was already full at least a week before the event. Local youth and national organizations alike delivered speeches and hosted workshops on everything from violence intervention and gun safety, to mental health and social media, to hip hop culture and drill music.
“Centering youth voices is critical, because I believe the children will bring us solutions,” said Mayor Pro-Tem and District I Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker about the young attendees. “They are indeed the future, and my goal is to help them express themselves here so we can listen and learn.”
The summit concluded with a discussion of next steps, including public safety, support services and policy proposals. However, with the continuation of gun violence in the area, it’s clear solutions won’t come easily.
“We’ve all got to be in the trenches doing the work,” said Mayor Harvey L. Ward Jr. “We have a part to play in this. It’s not just our public safety professionals. We all need to build that framework, build networks that rely on each other, and we’re here to do that.”
As part of the summit, the City of Gainesville provided an extensive list of local services and programs with a role in reducing gun violence. More statistics, files and information about the summit are available on the city’s website.