Councilman Ricky Burgess reflects on recent gun violence in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess is searching for answers after recent gun violence in the city.
Five people were shot last Friday in Brighton Heights during a funeral for John Hornezes Jr., who was killed on the North Side earlier this month.
City homicides and shootings are up compared to last year. With rising violence, KDKA-TV tried to get answers from Burgess.
"We have to get to the root causes, which is long term," he said. "We have to rebuild these communities. We have to provide programming and educational programming."
Burgess says reducing violence is a community-wide effort, including intervention and creating opportunities for young people.
KDKA-TV's Jennifer Borrasso: "What programs are you bringing into the city of Pittsburgh to help these kids?"
Burgess: "That's what we are talking about. We have to do jobs and social services and counseling and therapy and trauma-based therapy. We have to provide much more services."
Burgess says the city has 20 violence interrupters who work to stop violence in local communities before it happens. Lee Davis works as a violence interrupter for Cure Violence Pittsburgh in Wilkinsburg and the Mon Valley.
"Once you kill somebody, especially with these young guys now, that's a war now. It's no longer they want to sit down and talk about all this stuff," Davis said.
Davis says Pittsburgh needs more interrupters.
"We don't have enough bodies out here to handle what's going on," Davis said.
He says getting to kids early is paramount
"We have to start educating these kids and these families about the consequences of one, certain things they do, elicit behaviors," Davis said. "But also let them know about the drugs that are out here."