ORLANDO, Fla. — Community members in Orlando are sounding the alarm when it comes to their safety and told Channel 9 that more needs to be done following a rise in violence involving young people.
On Friday, dozens of community members came together for a celebration of life at the Boys & Girls Club in Parramore.
The “Forever 13″ celebration was planned after the Boys & Girls Club lost three teens to gun violence in the past three years.
Those three teens 15-year-old Antwan Roberts, 15-year-old Corey Jones and 13-year-old Damionna Reed were remembered and celebrated on Friday night.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Family and friends at tonight’s celebration told Channel 9 that this senseless violence has to end.
Roberts was killed in front of his grandmother’s home in 2020.
Jones was shot and killed on Grand Street in January 2022.
And Reed was shot and killed during a domestic violence incident a few weeks ago on easter weekend on Grand Street.
Read: Trial for accused killer Keith Moses pushed back after suspect gets new attorney
“How does one go on when you’re 13 and your classmate has been murdered? We don’t know the answers,” said a speaker at Friday’s event.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith called on the community for those answers.
“If somebody sees something they have to say something,” Smith said. “They have to let us get involved, they have to let the community get involved.”
Read: Orlando’s ‘Come out With Pride’ celebration is happening no matter what, organizers say
Damionna Reed’s mother, Darnita Fulmore, called on kids in the community to step up if they see something that isn’t right.
“Even if you know you’re being threatened, or you joined a group of kids that you don’t want to be around. You still can reach out to someone if you want to change what’s going on,” Fulmore said.
Smith added that part of fixing this issue is listening to kids, if they have something to say - adults must listen.
Read: Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son ‘dispose of a body’
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/DV3D5PBQIZFEPANBGDDAZHIA5I.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XN34TOOWJ5EFLFYLQONF763OCA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/V5TWF6CJAZFXBLDTZXOE47OMN4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/KZ5GKMUGRZBI7DEQEANMOFBGWQ.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/63RX6RMNFRHUFHYAV37CH22POU.jpg)