Brooklyn youth program works to prevent gun violence after 2 teen girls shot in 24 hours
The program offers tutoring, mentorship and after-school activities.
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Two teenage girls were shot in Brooklyn within 24 hours, raising concerns about a recent string of violence involving young people.
The latest NYPD crime statistics tell two different stories. Shootings are down citywide but shooting incidents in Brooklyn South are up more than 70% over the past month.
“I come to this McDonald’s all the time,” said East New York resident Janeen Daly. “So, you know, to hear that somebody that young got shot here. It’s insane. I take my kids here all the time."
A 17-year-old girl was shot multiple times outside an East New York McDonald’s just before midnight Monday. An 18-year-old girl was shot Sunday night during an attempted robbery inside a Crown Heights subway station.
Both teens are expected to survive.
“It just breaks my heart when I hear kids being shot, gunned down,” said Raymond Pitts, crisis management coordinator for Elite Learners.
Pitts grew up in NYCHA housing in East New York. He now works through Elite Learners to keep children on a positive path.
“The neighborhood I come from growing up in the ‘80s, ‘90s, there’s a lot of violence, and that’s basically all you saw and now you have a lot of kids that want help. Just don’t know how to go about getting it,” Pitts said. “We’re a bridge between that. We break that barrier and we help them out."
The program offers tutoring, mentorship and after-school activities.
“I want to be a firefighter. You see how they’re doing their job and they’re making kids motivated to do stuff. I want to be somebody’s inspiration as a firefighter,” said Jahmir, 14, who is mentored by Elite Learners.
Police have not made any arrests in either shooting. Elite Learners says its members will keep showing up every day, hoping those small connections can help save lives.
