NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The community in Newport News is still grieving, after a teenager was shot waiting for a school bus Tuesday morning. Community groups are stepping in to help them heal.
“It's heartbreaking, but it happens, and the reality is it's going to happen again,” Troy Ketchmore with Ketchmore Kids said. "“It's it's never good to have one, you know? But the point is, to try to alleviate it, period. But it started with preventative measures.”
The intervention group specializes in outreach programs that focus on conflict resolution and coping with trauma. Troy Ketchmore is the Director of Programs.
This most recent shooting claimed the life of a teenager. Ketchmore and his team are honing in on their mission to provide hope to the community before it's too late. Ketchmore Kids' programs, Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) and The Think Tank are free for children and parents. They address issues like self-esteem, conflict resolution, goal setting, and grief management.
For more than 20 years, Ketchmore kids worked in Newport News communities. Not only educating the community but saving lives in the process. They use living stories of success, like Troy who served nearly 30 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted as a way to connect with young people.
“We want to catch more kids than the streets catch more kids in the prison, catch more kids than the gangs,” Ketchmore said.
Ketchmore says every death, especially of a young person is like a gut punch and he promises his group won't let up on their mission.