A recent surge of violence in Watts brought community leaders, politicians, and law enforcement together Wednesday in a plea for peace.
In the past two weeks, nine people have been shot, two fatally, in the area surrounding the Jordan Downs public housing project. Mike Cummings with the Watts Gang Task Force said the violence is depriving the community of its future leaders.
“We want to make sure that our kids grow up to be doctors and lawyers and police officers and firefighters, and someone of them to be the president of the United States,” Cummings said.
One of the recent shootings happened Saturday night, while a group of neighborhood residents were gathered to watch a sporting event. According to police, multiple suspects arrived and began shooting, leaving 19-year-old Kyimonte Johnson dead and three others injured.
While some called for more city-funded gang intervention programs, others appealed for a change in the social dynamic that allows violence to flourish. Community member Andre Christian called on young people to turn their attention toward better role models.
“Let’s stop with all the disrespect on social media,” he said. “Let’s stop all these fake so-called big homeboys. That’s not your homeboy, he’s waiting to see you go to the penitentiary or the graveyard. Let’s stop all that right there. Let’s build up men and women and save lives.”
Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents the area, said a collaborative approach to gang intervention has the greatest chance to stem the violence.
“We’ll have a layer of, obviously, police work, but very importantly intervention work with folks that have a license to operate in the community, as well as ambassadors working with great organizations that you see here,” he said.
McOsker said he aims to get resources into the area as soon as possible.
The suspects and motives in the shootings are still under investigation.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
