TALK TO GANGS
Teen’s killing prompts council prez’s call to ...
The latest teen slaying has prompted City Council President Andrea Campbell to call for new voices at the table to curb the violence — including families and gang members.
Her call for peace talks comes after Nervan “Joshua” Luc, 19, was shot to death in the back of a car Friday night, just a block away from where Campbell was addressing a community safety meeting in Dorchester.
“It was tragic what happened outside and myself and everyone in that room is still being affected by it,” said Campbell, who hosted the event. “This reminds us all that we still have work to do.”
The shooting marks Boston’s 52nd homicide of the year. There were 51 at this time last year, police said.
“As a community we have to do better and effect real change,” Campbell added. “What I have personally learned is that we need to expand the table to involve more people and make space for more solutions.”
Campbell told the Herald that part of the solution is engaging with different populations, including “gang” members and “perpetrators,” along with their families, to get more solutions.
“Each of us has a role to play in the solution, even if we don’t know what that is right now,” Campbell added. She offered no concrete framework for the kind of talks she is proposing, but said it’s time to try anything to save lives.
Meanwhile, other community leaders are calling for witnesses to come forward to help solve the latest teen killing.
Pastor Bruce Wall of the Global Ministries Christian Church took to Boston Praise Radio with others to call for help in tracking down the murderer.
“The police have information but we have more. The streets are talking and someone has the information that could be used to bring this murderer, this menace to society to justice,” said Wall.
The religious leaders said anyone can call their confidential line with information about the shooter and they would take care of getting the information to the police.
“If you know something in this community, stand up in this community,” said Brother Lo Banks, executive director of the Black Economic Justice Institute. “Never mind the not snitching, we need to protect our community. So if you know something in this community, call us. We need people in this community to step up. Someone has seen something, nothing happens in the broad daylight and no one sees anything.”
“If we want the violence to stop, we are going to have to be the ones to stop it,” added Minister Priscilla Flint-Banks.
The BPD and Mayor Martin J. Walsh could not be reached for comment.