Linden neighborhood pushes anti-violence message

Yahoo

20-05-2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Now that the warmer months are here, community groups are out in force working to put an end to gun violence. Historically, more violent crimes in central Ohio take place during the warmer months, with the community groups working to keep Columbus' homicides for the year under triple digits.
From now until October, community advocates and groups will be walking around Linden, raising awareness and handing out various flyers filled with resources. Organizers said the goal of these walks is to educate children and adults and to see a decrease in gun violence.
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'Over the past five or six years, the murder rate has been very high, and we want to make sure that we want to do our part in decreasing gun violence,' Linden Community Stop the Violence founder Derrick Russell said.
It's been a decade since Columbus has seen fewer than 100 homicides per year. According to newly released homicide numbers from the Columbus Division of Police, there have been fewer homicides so far this year than there have been in several years; however, May has been the deadliest month of the year so far.
'It's a more bigger problem than just young people carrying guns,' We Are Linden founder Ralph Carter said. 'A lot of it is misplaced anger and a lot of hidden trauma that these young people are dealing with and for them, the easiest outlet is retaliation or just result in negative acts.'
With school coming to an end and the weather getting warmer, community leaders like Russell and Carter said now is the time to get outside, connect with youth, and offer resources. On Monday, a group got together for their annual End Gun Violence Community Walk.
'We want the gun violence to continue to decrease, and we want to see a better increase in education for our youth,' Russell said. 'We want them to come out. We want them to start to be more productive citizens.'
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For Jaylin Garel, being involved with these events is important. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his brother struggled mentally. He's now found purpose in helping others.
'It's to show them that they have a village behind them, like, a lot of youth have a missing father figure or just a missing figure in the household and it's to show them that the mom or whoever that guardian is in the house that your village can back you,' Garel said.
The next walks are set to take place June 16 and 23 at North Columbus Preparatory Academy; July 14 and 21 at Dollar Plus on Cleveland Avenue; Aug. 18 and 25 is at Linden Recreation Center; on Sept. 15 and 22, groups will gather at True Love Ministries; and the last two events will be Oct. 20 and 27 at the Northern Lights Shopping Center. All walks will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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