NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — In Newport News' East End, community leaders gathered to try and find a solution to a pervasive issue. Saturday morning, at Greater Walters AME Zion Church, pastors and activists gathered for a Gun Violence Panel.
The collaborative effort is spearheaded by Rev. Dr. John Myers of the Eastern Virginia Association of the United Church of Christ. He’s the group’s associate conference minister.
“Everywhere is affected by gun violence. There’s no, ‘Here’s a place that’s a good location.’ Everywhere across the U.S. is being affected by gun violence," Myers said. “What can we do as a church community, what can we do as religious leaders to address some of these issues?”
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church also helped with the effort.
Myers said this is the third Gun Violence Panel he’s organized. He said the goal is to find effective, community-driven solutions to crime.
“This initiative really came out of what happened in Chesapeake, at the Chesapeake Walmart, where we had the shooting," he said. "I had pulled a group of our clergy together to say, ‘Hey, what can we do.’”
He added: “We’ve been having monthly meetings, trying to strategize, put together plans to address [crime], to have a solution.”
In addition to this Newport News panel, he’s previously hosted panels in Norfolk and Greensboro, North Carolina.
Panelists joined in-person and online to speak with a wide cross-section of the Newport News community. Myers noted: “The mayor’s here, the law enforcement’s here, religious leaders’ here, legal representation.”
Myers said ultimately they want to address the root causes of crime, develop strategies to combat the problem and create safer neighborhoods.
“It’s all about educating the community, equipping the community, and empowering the community," Myers said.
He said he plans to host more of these events in other cities in the area to collaborate with communities on what can be done to fight gun violence.