RICHMOND, Va. — Community leaders gathered Saturday in Richmond's Gilpin Court to promote peace and provide resources one month after a 15-year-old was fatally shot in the neighborhood.
The event, held at the corner of Charity Street, was to bring hope to an area affected by youth gun violence following the death of Dora Hill, who police say was shot and killed by another teen last month.
Gwendolyn Andrews of Richmond Community Mediators helped organize the gathering, which provided food, activities, and resources to neighborhood residents.
"Rather than gather at a sad occasion, we just wanted to have a celebratory time here today and let our youth know that we love and care about them," Andrews said.
The event brought together the Richmond Police Department's Community Mediators, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Parks and Recreation, and other community partners to offer mentorship to local youth.
"We recently lost one of our youth, Dora, and so we promise we'll never forget her," Andrews said.
"It also gives us a mission to make sure that we're getting the good news out, which is to put down the guns and lift and love each other up, rather than have conflicts that you can't resolve other than by picking up a gun," Andrews said.
The gathering was part of youth violence prevention week, an initiative designed to increase community engagement before summer begins.
"I just believe there's hope for this city and that we can turn this tide of gun violence around," Andrews said. "I think that when you know better, you do better."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
