LANSING, Mich. (News 10) – Two community events came together at Lansing’s Risdale Park on Saturday to give area youth a way to build relationships and strengthen the community following a violent June that left two teenagers dead.
The events came after separate shootings in two Lansing parks in June killed a 19-year-old and a 15-year-old. The Ingham County prosecutor has since characterized the incidents as gang or retaliatory violence.
‘Trying to do my part’
Aaron Blankenburg organized one of Saturday’s events, called Park to Purpose, under his organization Save Our City and Kids. He said the violence against younger kids this summer pushed him to act.
“To be honest, when the summer started and a couple of the younger kids started getting hurt, I just decided, man let’s just keep some of these younger kids busy so they don’t get off into that type of stuff, sort of control their free time,” Blankenburg said…