SEATTLE — Parents and community members south of downtown Seattle gathered to say enough is enough. Friday evening’s “Justice for our Youth” event was all about solutions – the problem? – how to keep our young people safe from gun violence.
Community leaders say they are motivated by a list of young people, more than a dozen, some just children, killed by gun violence since January of this year in Seattle and surrounding cities. Friday night, they gathered in search of answers.
“The kids who are out there with guns are kids who we have failed,” said longtime community advocate Sebrena Burr. “We have far too many children dying in a rich city,” she continued.
It was standing room only inside the New Holly Gathering Hall in the Rainier Valley as parents and community leaders spoke for the teens and children who are no longer with us. Kids who were killed by guns that were often fired by other children.
“This is absolutely like a movement at this time,” said Hamdi Abdulle, a community advocate and self-proclaimed elder of Seattle’s East African community.
Abdulle says her heart breaks for the shooting death of 14-year-old Ayub Hashi. The teen was shot and killed in a drive-by late last month in New Holly just South of Beacon Hill.
“He had just wanted to go one more time on the scooter – that one more time is going to haunt this whole community,” Burr said.
A killing that’s fueling outrage.
“The answers lie in the community, and so often we look to lawmakers to do the work,” she added.
While they mourn – their pain turns to action – hopeful for change.
“This is not an issue of spending money or giving money – this is an issue of something bigger than that that needs to be done that means more engagement from the parents,” Abdulle said.