DETROIT – Bullet holes remain in the windows of a house on Detroit’s east side, at the corner of Fairmount Drive and Shakespeare.
“He’s really not dealing with it good,” said Theresa Currie, the child’s aunt. “He had to leave his home over some senseless incident that really don’t have nothing to do with him.”
The boy was released from the hospital on Monday. However, the shooting has left his family and neighbors in the area rattled.
“It’s been a rough summer over here,” said Sandra Turner Handy, a lead organizer with Denby Neighborhood Alliance and 4820 Live Community Violence Intervention.
Handy said 4820 Live works to reduce violence across the 48205 zip code.
“We had some major events over here,” Handy said. “We had a pop-up party where we had 21 individuals shot. Now, we have babies being targeted in homes. You know, with people driving up and shooting a whole home full of kids.”
The community groups are described as boots on the ground. According to members, their mission is prevention and working toward safer neighborhoods.
“When we hear about a shooting in the community, it’s about getting out there, making sure that we’re providing the family with resources,” Handy said. “We’re making sure that there’s no retaliation. No escalation of violence.”
According to members and volunteers, that work isn’t easy. In addition to helping the families of victims, 4820 Live canvasses areas. They are increasing radio patrols. For months, they’ve been helping groups form block clubs.
There’s still more work to do.
“What it does do is it brings attention to the fact that we need more CVI dollars in the city because this work is going to be continuous,” Handy said.
The CVI group is aware there are many neighbors across 48205 who fear speaking up about issues like violent crime. To those neighbors, Handy said their silence is not the answer.
“No, that’s not the way we’re going to solve this issue,” Handy said. “We have to be committed. We have to be invested in our community. And we have to learn how to take our community back and say, we’re not going to stand for this.”
Click here to help the family of the 8-year-old boy rebuild and heal.