FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (PIX11) -- The Brooklyn community kicked off a safe summer with a youth rally and anti-gun violence basketball tournament Saturday, held in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Month.
The game drew dozens of community members and local leaders to Nostrand Playground, united in their commitment to a more peaceful summer. At the second annual event, organizers ignited the crowd with a powerful call to action, amplifying the urgent plea to put the guns down. A special performance from Brooklyn's very own Lil Mama fueled the audience's dedication as they worked towards a violence-free summer.
Police data shows that shooting incidents are down 15% compared to this same time last year. With the borough seeing at least three shootings this week, however, including one involving two young girls who were shot at a park Monday night, cure violence groups are hoping to eradicate gun violence altogether.
"Unfortunately gun violence is going to happen and when it happens to the young kids it seems like such a hardship to deal with but we just got to keep doing the work, raising the awareness," said Robert Williams of Elite Learners, inc.
As the youth played basketball against community leaders, booths set up offering resources and job opportunities to help keep kids off the street were also present. The event emphasized the importance of community engagement and proactive measures to prevent gun violence. City Councilmember Farah Louis was one of the event's organizers.
"We can't have an over reliance on law enforcement and more importantly the community needs to step up," Louis said "We have to work with our cure violence groups and most importantly if you see something you need to say something."
Lawrence Dorval is a Brooklynite who has been personally impacted by gun violence, losing his cousin to a shooting at a young age. Since then, he founded the basketball organization Sports United to guide vulnerable youth away from the streets and toward a brighter future.
"Ever since growing up, I started to see different types of things that affected other youth, or people, with gun violence," Dorval said. "The main thing I wanted to do is stay off the street myself and definitely use basketball as a tool to stay off the street and stay focused."
Organizers plan to continue their efforts throughout the summer with more events and activities to keep young people engaged and safe. They're hoping this event has set the tone for what promises to be a transformative summer in Brooklyn.
English (US) ·