In a push to combat youth violence, community members and advocates gathered at the J.C. Napier Community Center in Nashville, hoping an open discussion would lead to change.
“It’s necessary in every community. Every household,” said Rico McClean, whose 26-year-old son, Christopher McClean , was fatally shot in October 2023. Despite surveillance footage and a plea for information, Chris’s case remains unsolved.
“All leads have dried up. There’s no more information coming in and no new answers,” McClean said. “Every day I wake up it’s a different day and different mood. Different feeling, and most of the time it’s not a good one.”
Scenes of flashing red and blue lights, yellow police tape, and grieving families have become familiar across Middle Tennessee. Advocates, like Benzion Israel from Youth Violence Conflict Resolution, say they’re working to change this.
“There’s a lot of crime that happens among the youth here in Nashville,” Israel said.
As an advocate against gang violence, Israel hoped by bringing together community leaders, law enforcement officials, and parents like McClean, for the Youth Violence Conflict Resolution Seminar, they could reach the young people at risk.