Metro high school teaming up with police to take on gun violence

EAST POINT, Ga. — For the first time ever, a police department and a high school drama program are joining forces to stop violence.

East Point police and Tri Cities High School want to curb youth crime involving guns in their city.

Although it’s a production, the scenarios are real.

Students are addressing the issue of gun violence through drama representations to be shared in social media videos.

“Two football players. One is jealous of the other. People get upset and when emotions get mixed in with weapons, things happen,” said Nicholas Alexander Wilkinson, who is a senior at Tri Cities High School.

Channel 2 Action News has reported about the increase of violence committed by young people in East Point.

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The most recent case was in early May. East Point police identified a person of interest in the murder of a 16-year-old female.

“It’s disturbing to know that people my same age are doing things that I would have never imagined doing,” Wilkinson said.

“Unfortunately, across the country right now, we’re having an influx of youth violence,” said East Point Police Chief Shawn Buchanan.

That’s why Buchanan said he wanted to reach out to the youth in a different way to stop gun violence.

“We really have to use social media, because our target audience are young people and young people use social media. So we have to meet them where they are,” Buchanan said.

That’s why principal Dr. Ethel Lett said this partnership is needed.

“We have to continue teaching our kids about self-regulation, about owning their actions, about being responsible human beings,” Lett said.

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