Students to take lead on conversation against gun violence in Durham

FINES START AT $50 AND INCREASE

FOR EACH OFFENSE.

>> TODAY, YOUNG PEOPLE IN

DURHAM WILL HOLD A GUN VIOLENCE

AWARENESS EVENTS. THEY PLAN

TO SHARE THEIR STORIES

WITNESSING OR FALLING VICTIM

TO SHOOTINGS. WRAL'S KIRSTEN

CLARK IS LIVE IN DURHAM THIS

MORNING. IN KIRSTIN, WE HAVE

NEW DATA ON SHOOTINGS IN

DURHAM.

>> YES, WE'RE IN A WERE HERE ON

CAMPUS AT NORTH CAROLINA

CENTRAL UNIVERSITY WHERE THAT

EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE. AND

WE'VE HEARD A PUBLIC OUTCRY

FROM MANY PEOPLE HERE IN DURHAM

WHO JUST SAY THEY'RE TIRED OF

THE VIOLENCE. NOW, THIS IS THE

SHOOTING DATA FROM THE DURHAM

POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IT SHOWS

A YEAR TO DATE NUMBERS ON

SHOOTING. SO LET'S TAKE A

CLOSER LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS.

AS OF APRIL. 11TH, THE DATA

SHOWS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF

SHOOTINGS IS DOWN AT 132 SO FAR

THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 100.

AND 44 THIS TIME LAST YEAR,

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOT IS UP

AT 54 WITH 10 OF THEM FATAL

COMPARED TO 35 PEOPLE SHOT AND

5 KILLED THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

NOW SO FAR THIS YEAR, 10 OF

THE PEOPLE SHOT IN DURHAM WERE

BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6.20 YEARS

OLD. THE CITY COUNTY AND

COMMUNITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER

ON A VIOLENCE REDUCTION PLAN

AIMED AT LOWERING THOSE

NUMBERS. BUT THE ORGANIZER OF

TODAY'S SYMPOSIUM SAYS THE

YOUTH NEEDS TO BE A PART OF

THE CONVERSATION, SHARING THEIR

EXPERIENCES AND TELLING

OFFICIALS WHAT THEY WANT TO

SEE CHANGE.

>> THE URGENCY IS REAL, BUT WE

CANNOT WAIT FOR ANOTHER

TRAGEDY. WE HAVE TO RESPOND

NOW. WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE

AND SEEING THE GUN VIOLENCE

THAT IMPACTED OUR KIDS. THE

KIDS ARE GETTING YOUNGER AND

YOUNGER.

>> THE AN MUTED AT YOUTH

LEADERS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE.

SYMPOSIUM STARTS AT 10 O'CLOCK

THIS MORNING HERE ON CAMPUS IS

AT THE HUBBARD, TODD AND

BUILDING. THAT WILL LAST UNTIL

2 O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON LIVE