INDIANAPOLIS — This year, the number of young homicide victims continues to grow and the ones behind the guns aren’t much older.
On Thursday two teens were arrested for murder. A day later, a 14-year-old was shot while allegedly breaking into a home.
(Note: The video in the media player is a 13News report on Safe Summer, a youth program that includes Kareem Hines' mentoring.)
Later on Friday, there was another shooting, this time at a funeral home, targeting people already in mourning for a young man killed in a shooting last week.
“Fourteen-year-old shot, 15-year-old shot, they don’t give a name, so it’s two or three minutes before the news comes back on when we know, more times than not, that it’s going to be someone we know,” said Kareem Hines, founder of New B.O.Y (New Breed of Youth) mentoring & youth development program.
It’s why Hines fights so hard to make a difference in young men’s lives. In 2005, he started a mentoring program, and every year it has grown.
“We get our boys together four or five days a week, and it’s a community-based program,” Hines said. “We're trying to get them to understand that you are not only affecting yourself when this happens, whether you are the perpetrator or the victim, it’s a whole family.”
Part of it includes a boxing program called “guns down, gloves up.” Hines said it teaches young men conflict resolution that doesn’t result in pulling the trigger.
“Before we put the gloves on, let’s have a conversation about gun violence and what it really does and how much heart it doesn’t take to pull a trigger, but how much heart it does take to put your hands up,” Hines said. “We trying to get them to understand that you are not only affecting yourself when this happens, whether you are the perpetrator or the victim, it’s a whole family.”
Hines and other leaders are trying to get ahead of the ongoing violence, especially with the summer months approaching.
“There are resources in this city and there are programs helping kids. Our philosophy is connection before correction. I want to make the connection with not only the young man, but his family,” Hines said.
He said that connection starts by getting on their level.
“It used to be cool to say, ‘I am going to meet them halfway.’ We can’t meet young people halfway anymore. We have to go down to their level and then we bring them up and build them up,” he said.
It’s something parents, mentors and leaders can all do.
“Let’s collaborate in this city. We are doing great work. Let’s start connecting with each other and put the egos, attitude aside because once we start connecting as leaders, the kids will follow,” Hines said.
The city is also bringing back its Safe Summer program for teens, which Hines is a part of. It will offer free activities at parks across the city between June and August every Friday night.
Currently, they're looking for community partners to donate their time and resources. If you know a group that would be interested in this effort, click here.
Ways to contribute include monetary donations, snacks, meals, and beverages and providing activities such as sports, fitness, digital or fine arts and mindfulness programming.
Learn more about New B.O.Y. and how to register here.
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