On the heels of Jacobs neighborhood murder, violence prevention advocates say more needs to be done

ANOTHER SHOOTING COMING. I SPOKE WITH SOME LOCALS AND ANTI-VIOLENCE ADVOCATES AND THEY SAY WHILE THIS IS A STEP IN A GOOD DIRECTION, MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. ON FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE 3700 BLOCK OF CRAIG AVENUE, A MAN WAS GUNNED DOWN. THE TRAGEDY COMING JUST HOURS AFTER LMPD ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF TWO MEN. SIR, I’M GOING TO ENTER A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY ON YOUR BEHALF, TYSHAWN EVANS WAS CHARGED WITH KILLING KEVIN ARTIS IN JANUARY AND 20 YEAR-OLD JEREMIAH BANKS IS CHARGED WITH KILLING VINCENT CRUTCHER IN 2022. COMMUNITY MEMBERS SAY WHILE THE ARREST BRINGS SOME PEACE, THEY FEEL AS IF THE NEEDLE IS BARELY MOVING. I’M GLAD THEY WERE CAUGHT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I FEEL LIKE IT TOOK A LITTLE. JUST CATCH ONE AND IT’S ANOTHER ONE THAT HAPPENS LIKE IT’S JUST A NONSTOP PATTERN OR A PATTERN THAT MANY ANTI-VIOLENCE ADVOCATES LIKE DEMETRIUS MCDOWELL WITH BOSSES, NOT BANKERS, ARE TRYING TO STOP. IT STARTS WITH PREVENTION. WE CAN ALWAYS COUNT NUMBERS AFTER SOMEONE’S BEEN SHOT OR SHOT AND KILLED. BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREVENT THOSE THINGS FROM HAPPENING? MCDOWELL, WHO SPENT MANY YEARS FIGHTING FOR PEACE, SAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE FUNDING FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION. OTHERS, LIKE CHRISTOPHER TUEK, SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER DURING WHAT’S ALREADY BEEN PROVEN TO BE A VIOLENT START OF 2024. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S A TRYING TIME AS IT RELATES TO VIOLENT CRIME. IN MANY WAYS, WHETHER FATAL OR NONFATAL SHOOTINGS IS STILL A HEAVY TASK TO TRY TO GET ACCOUNTABILITY AND EQUALLY STOP TH