NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More and more, kids are getting caught up in serious societal issues, including gun violence.
In Nashville this year, more than a quarter of victims of gun-related homicides were 18 or younger. Recently, a group of boys in middle school promised to reverse this trend.
The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Jere Baxter Middle School in the Humble Beginnings program have talked about gun violence with Clemmie Greenlee. The mentoring program founded by Mychal Greenwood provides educational support to kids in urban communities.
Greenlee asked Greenwood if she could bring the national student pledge against gun violence to his students.
"Not just because of school shootings, but shootings period," Clemmie Greenlee told me. "And because guns are so plentifully put in our community — the community of the left behind and the least of thee. Hearing it from a mentor, it makes them ... they don't want to touch a gun, or be willing to tell and not think about snitching, but being able to save somebody's life."
This is the pledge:
I will never bring a gun to school
I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute;
I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes
My individual choices and actions when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country will make a difference
Together, by honoring this pledge we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.
The data in Nashville
In Nashville, Greenlee, the founder of Nashville Peacemakers, is well-known for ministering to hurting moms.
This summer, she introduced me to the family of 13-year-old Aayden Hayes. Metro Police believe Hayes was shot and killed by a 15-year-old he knew.
"Us as parents, as adults, we have to teach these kids, this is not OK," said Hayes' mother Hope Leach in an interview with me.
Of the 88 death investigations in Nashville — specifically homicides — 25 victims were 18 or younger, according to NewsChannel 5's analysis as of Dec 1. One out of every five homicides involved a suspect 18 or younger.
When it happened last
The most recent shooting deaths involving young people happened in the middle of the afternoon at the downtown Nashville WeGo station.
After presenting the pledge to school administrators, the Jere Baxter students said how they would put it into practice.
"We can solve problems by trying to walk away from a situation, and trying not to take the dispute to another level before it gets bad," said one seventh-grade student.
Another student said, "What I'm going to do is influence younger children and help them know that guns are not a way. You do not need a gun to settle anything in this world."
Assistant Principal Elijah Gann expressed his pride in the students.
"It's beautiful to see our students talk about ways to prevent [gun violence], and be part of a solution to something that's affected a lot of people," Elijah Gann said.
If only the pledge weren't necessary, but we live in a world where people turn to guns to deal with difficulties. That narrative is something Greenlee aims to change beginning with Jere Baxter.
"And it's going to make me feel so good because you won't be calling or contacting me about a funeral, or a gravesite with flowers. You'll be contacting me to bring this to my school because my students need it. We all need it, and we're looking forward to getting involved," Greenlee said.
Do you want to bring the pledge and program to your school? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
