GREENBELT, Md. — Gun violence, acknowledged as a public health crisis by the U.S. Surgeon General, continues to devastate families throughout the DMV area, including in Prince George's County.
"We average a mass shooting every day plus in the United States of America and they happen so frequently, they used to be headlines, front page things, they’re dropping off from that now because they’re just so frequent," said Congressman Glenn Ivey, who represents Maryland's 4th District.
Members of Congress and community leaders are fed up and focused on a solution.
“Enforcement, prosecution and creating tougher laws is part of the solution," said Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy. "The other part, as our congressman knows, is that we have to stop people from wanting to pick up a gun in the first place.”
Dr. Bethany Strong, an attending trauma surgeon at University of Maryland Medical Systems and the medical director for a hospital-based violence prevention program that monitors gunshot victims and provides assistance and guidance after their stay at the hospital, spoke about solutions to the ongoing violence.
“Whether it be food for people who have lost wages, housing relocation for people who were injured in their homes, job training for people who want to transition to different levels of employment, or if you just need somebody to talk to," said Strong.
It’s no accident Saturday’s event was held at Schrom Hills Park in Greenbelt. Exactly two months ago to the day, a 14-year-old and 16-year-old were arrested for allegedly shooting five people at the park, including two kids during an unsanctioned senior skip day.
"This one was really in my backyard," said Ivey. "My kids played soccer here on Saturdays over the years. Three of my kids went to the school that had their senior skip day here.”
The shooting shook the Greenbelt community, and now the community is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
"Because we take these crimes seriously, even though these are very young people who committed them, we will send a message through our prosecution that it is unacceptable, and we will hold them fully accountable for their actions," said Braveboy.
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