North Charleston elected officials, community members hold town hall on gun violence

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The North Charleston community is brainstorming ways to reduce gun violence across the area. Elected officials held a town hall meeting with community members in response to a shooting near a youth baseball game last week.

Community members and leaders say establishing a task force and allocating funding to grassroots organizations might be the best ways to drive out violent crime.

“Overall crime is down but the homicides are steadily creeping up,” says North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess.

A deadly apartment shooting and a shooting near a baseball game are just the latest instances of gun violence in North Charleston. Officials say talking about the problem isn’t enough.

“The community has stepped up,” says Chief Burgess. “Now it’s time for the community, law enforcement, and the government to say enough is enough. We’re going to get it together and we’re going to make it work.”

Some community members want to see a task force created and believe funding from state and local governments is needed to fund grassroots organizations working in the streets to weed out gun violence.

“And then when it goes upside down, you look at it as man, I failed the citizens,” says Chief Burgess. “So when I see Ronjanes Smith’s face, and I see her parents, I feel responsible. I don’t want any other child to die.”

One of those organizations, Positive Vibes Ronjanae Smith Center was formed after Smith, a 14-year-old, was killed in a shooting injuring 14 others. Smith’s dad, Ronald Smith founded the organization in his daughter’s memory to advocate against gun violence.

“We should put five organizations together, bring us all under one roof and let us fight this violence together,” says Smith.

The Medical University of South Carolina says a third of all gunshot wound victims come from North Charleston leaving a community on edge as leaders and grassroots organizations work to drive out the violence

“And I think if we get more involved to find out the core issues, we can actually stop a lot of those violent acts,” says Chief Burgess.

Several of the leaders and activists plan to meet again in June to continue discussions around ending gun violence in the area.