ATLANTA — Faith leaders across Atlanta are stepping up their efforts to combat the recent senseless killing of teenagers and violence across the city.
The call to action follows the most recent shooting on Saturday, Nov. 26, which happened just outside Atlantic Station, killing a 12-year-old and 15-year-old and sending four other teens to the hospital.
"We’re declaring a state of emergency," explained Reverend Darryl Winston, who is the Director of Save our City Coalition.
On Friday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. Reverend Winston and other Faith leaders are holding a 'Peace in the Street' anti-violence walk on the 17th Street bridge near Atlantic Station. This is where the mass shooting on Saturday happened that killed 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson.
"All of us are impacted when the bloods of our children are running down the streets of this city," said Rev. Winston.
While the recent shooting near Atlantic Station has garnered much attention from the community, law enforcement and many city officials said this isn't something new to the area.
"It's not a new phenomenon. We're just seeing the last 10 years of growth. It's been growing like a weed for 10 years," Drew Beal, a managing partner of Buckley Beal, said about youth violence.
Beal along with Rev. Winston, agreed that the root problem with conversations about gun violence, gangs and teens is a lack of foundation with some of the youth.
"Often times this kind of activity comes form socioeconomic conditions, poverty. I don't know that you could really talk about gang violence without starting the conversation at poverty and resources," Beal explained. "And so access to resources, access to facilities (is important) to engage people so that they're looking at something other than violence."
Days after the shooting near Atlantic Station, city officials said they're looking into a possible city-wide curfew for teens 17 years old or under. However, most experts 11Alive talked to this week said these types of curfews aren't effective.
"Short term solutions aren't really the answer.," Beal added. "This is a systemic problem."
Rev. Winston agrees, adding, "I think we reached a critical mass which is why all of us are going to have to get involved."
While this recent shooting is making headlines across the metro-headline, both men agree it's not unique to the city.
"I think we're seeing the same kind of issues in other cities, which makes it more important, makes it an American problem, not just an Atlanta problem," said Beal, adding it's not just "one city, one culture, one group. It's everywhere."
Thankfully, Rev. Winston said it's not too late for action, said: "we can solve this in this city and there’s some contributing factors undermining the wellness of our children, we must address those matters."