Two anti-violence groups formed in response to acts of gun violence earlier this summer say they will continue their missions in light of a wave of shooting incidents that occurred last week.
“Last week was tragic, but it did not deter in any way what our goal or our objective is. As a matter of fact, it only reinvigorated it,” said Basil Mohammed, leader of the anti-violence group Coalition of the Willing.
Lavoris Weathers, founder of the nonprofit Operation Peace Treaty Inc., said his organization has also continued to move forward.
Mohammed’s and Weathers’ groups were formed after a wave of reported shooting incidents in June claimed the lives of three men and injured eight others.
Then last week, Devonyae Miles, a 17-year-old male, died after being shot several times from a passing car while walking July 27 on Browning Road. Two days later, another shooting incident led to the hospitalization of four people, Greenwood authorities said.
Miles’ death marked the county’s 12th homicide this year, 11 of which were the result of gun violence.
Mohammed’s and Weathers’ groups each visit different communities on a weekly basis to let residents know that people care about them.
Mohammed and other community advocates within the group, such as Marcellus Gray, approach each community and talk about the need for peace. They also encourage people to follow the lessons of the 10,000 Fearless program, which teaches conflict resolution and the need to address economic disparities in order to empower people.
Mohammed said two classes on the lessons of the 10,000 Fearless program have been taught — one in person at the Williams Landing apartment complex on Browning Road and one online via the Zoom platform.
Mohammed also said that his group has received support from members of the Leflore County Board of Supervisors and Greenwood City Council, who acted on their own accord by visiting these gatherings or providing food.
Spurred by last week’s shootings, the Board of Supervisors voted to declare a state of emergency, which allows the Sheriff’s Department to use additional outside force to curb gun violence.
Some residents supported the emergency declaration; others expressed anger and dismay at Greenwood’s elected leadership for not making a statement on the recent wave of gun violence.
Robert Moore Jr., a teacher in the Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District and brother of Leflore County Supervisor Reginald Moore, said he’s had numerous conversations with people who expressed frustration with city leadership.
Moore said the conversations he’s had have all been about the City Council’s alleged inaction.
Robert Wilson Jr., who organized the city’s Black Lives Matter protest in June, said that although city leaders address various issues within the city, “they aren’t doing anything to address the most pressing issue right now, which is gun violence.”
“Of course the mayor and City Council can’t stop all gun violence, but we would like them to do something,” Wilson added.
He said he was disappointed that Mayor Carolyn McAdams had made a statement on her Facebook page in response to Leflore County being added to the governor’s mask mandate list but no statement about gun violence.
“That’s something that frustrates me,” he said.
Weathers also said City Council members have not been aggressive enough in dealing with gun violence.
“I think the city officials should tackle this gun violence in the same way and same angle as they were running for a campaign,” such as by placing signs and walking the streets, Weathers said.
Weathers acknowledged that it’s difficult to come up with an answer to crime. However, he said, the way to find an answer is to approach various communities, sit down with the residents and hear what they need.
Weathers’ group, Operation Peace Treaty Inc., has been doing that for several weeks — visiting communities to hand out free plates of barbecue in exchange for people filling out a survey about their community.
In addition to asking a person’s name and ward they live in, the survey asks the four following questions:
• How can we make your community a better place to live?
• What are you afraid of in your community?
• Do you feel you need more lighting in your community?
• When was the last time you saw or talked to your board member or councilman?
“What I’m doing by my surveys, I’m giving them a head start,” Weathers said.
Sandra Chase, vice president of Operation Peace Treaty Inc., said the group has already collected between 300 to 400 surveys.
After the group visits all the communities, the survey results will be summarized and given to city and county leaders in hopes that they’ll use the collected information. “I need awareness, I need help and I need support,” including support from elected officials, Weathers said.
To address continued crime, McAdams said the city intends to install more surveillance cameras throughout the city since they could possibly capture a shooting incident and help identify the shooter.
City and county leaders met Thursday to discuss safety strategies. McAdams declined to give details about their conversation but added that residents should know there’s a team in progress to address the community’s needs.
McAdams also said that more presence from the police as well as residents calling with information about shooting incidents can help create safer environments.
Ronnie Stevenson, president of the City Council, said that “it’s going to take the city, the county and the whole community” to come together and get involved to reduce crime.
Like McAdams, Stevenson said some of the strategies being considered to implement to curb violence can’t be released. He said Greenwood falls under the county’s state of emergency and would be eligible for additional outside help. “We’re going to do whatever it takes,” he said.
• Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
