Community mourns loss of 12-year-old after violent weekend
BALTIMORE — We Our Us held a walk through a community where a 12-year-old was killed over the weekend.
Baltimore Police said someone shot 12-year-old Jaylen Richards with an assault rifle as he was trying to run away Saturday night.
The shooter is still on the run.
"Shooting everyday," a neighbor who goes by 'Ms. Cookie' said. "Not only here. Babies, everybody. Ain't no particular person."
Neighbors still in shock are praying for Jaylen's mother.
He was a sixth grader at Westport Academy.
"I know she got to be hurting because I'm a mom," Ms. Cookie said. "She's hurting."
We Our Us' goal is to connect people in the city, especially boys and young men with resources to keep them off the street.
Organizers said they have a new focus now.
"We know now that we clearly have to turn our movement more toward the young people," Dr. Andrey Bundley with the Mayor's Office of African American Engagement said.
They want more community members to help them support young people in the city.
"We ask everybody to get involved," Dr. Bundley said. "It doesn't matter your position in life for you to get involved in dealing with young people."
Neighbors we spoke with agree that everyone needs to be a part of the solution, but some also say there needs to be more opportunities for the city's youth too.
"Why say this, that and the other about the children, but ain't anybody trying to do anything to sacrifice for these children," Ms. Cookie said.
