Former Boston gang member now encouraging kids to stay away from crime
BOSTON - Fed up with the violence, Dorchester neighbors gathered outside of the Ashmont T Station Wednesday, two blocks from where a man was shot and wounded Sunday night, to reach out and offer their support to local youth.
When asked if violence in the area has gotten worse, Ted Newton responded, "Definitely got worse. Definitely. Watching kids get killed."
Newton felt compelled to stop and chat with Danny Santana, the founder of the group Inspiring Today's Youth, or ITY. They spent Wednesday talking and listening to teens near the T station.
"Right over here, a young guy was shot. Thank god he's alive, but this is the nonsense that we're talking about," said Santana.
The group of about a dozen Dorchester neighbors were also keeping an eye out for trouble after the shooting and reports of fights spilling out of the T station in recent days.
"Punches, recording, pretty much enticing a fight," said 13-year-old Osiris Broxton.
The violence has become normalized for Osiris, a pattern that Santana hopes to change after spending seven years in prison. Santana is a former member of the Latin Kings gang.
"These young people feel like nobody cares. There's not enough adults that just have simple conversations with these guys," said Santana.
A simple "hello" was enough to stop Newton while he was on his way to pick up his daughter. It sparked an important conversation about the neighborhood he grew up in.
"Police ourselves but we need to come up with a system to actually support the children without the police policing," said Newton.
The solution isn't a simple one, but they hope it starts here with a listening ear and an important message.
"We hope to let them know that the community is not going to have this youth violence anymore. It's not okay for a group of youth to attack adults," Santana said. "Guys like me are the key to help these guys not repeat in those steps."