Pittsburgh Mass Shooting: South Pittsburgh Peacemakers step up in time of need
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - In the wake of the mass shooting at a packed party on Pittsburgh's North Side, efforts to prevent shootings are amping up more than ever before.
The South Pittsburgh Peacemakers with the South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace are even more motivated to stop people from pulling the trigger.
The peacemakers are trained violence interrupters and outreach workers. The organization's executive director Rev. Eileen Smith said they have increased their patrols and mediations in the nine neighborhoods they focus on in South Pittsburgh. They usually only have one outreach team, now they have two.
"We've formulated two teams, two outreach teams and we go different directions as far as peace walks and we have made ourselves more visible to people on the streets so they know what we do and our resources that can be provided for them to mediate any type of issues they may be having that leads to youth violence," Rev. Smith said.
Because of the uptick in violence in the city, including the mass shooting on Easter Sunday and other shootings in recent weeks, the Rev. Smith and the peacemakers knew they had to come up with their own plan.
"We've broadened our base because we realize we do have to make a difference in order to save lives," she said.
The peacemakers pretty much work whenever they are needed, around the clock, both on and off the street.
"They are intervention specialists and they put out some fires and prevent some retaliations and do lots of mediations, they work with young people," Rev. Smith said.
Rev. Smith said some teenagers from South Pittsburgh were at the party when gunfire rang out. 17-year-olds Jaiden Brown and Matthew Steffy-Ross were killed. Nine people were injured by bullets.
"Because of that, we want to be more in touch with the families. So, when we hear about things like this that are getting ready to happen, the peacemakers can go out there and alert their parents that their children might be going to such events. That is also a part of our plan," she said.
Pittsburgh police continue their intense investigation into the mass shooting. No arrests have been made.