JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Local mentorship organizations are coming together to talk to young people about the rise in gun violence in Jacksonville.
They say they want to make younger generations more aware of how their personal choices can lead them down the wrong path.
Two of the men who are speaking out are paralyzed from the waist down. They want anyone listening to hear their stories and learn from their mistakes so they don’t end up in a similar situation.
Mentor Samuel Cooper was leaving a venue in 2019 when he was shot several times in a drive-by shooting. He was hit in his spine.
“I lost feeling instantly so I really didn’t feel anything,” Cooper said. “But some people don’t have that. They get hit and it’s terrible for them.”
Cooper was at the wrong place at the wrong time and faces that decision every day. He said it gave him a different view on life.
“You lose a lot of friends,” Cooper said. “You lose a lot of good people around you. You’re going to have to learn how to depend on yourself, really. You always depend on yourself for one step, but now you really have to depend on yourself because there’s a lot behind this, not being able to walk now, you got to depend on someone else to help you out.”
With the increase in gun violence around the River City, Cooper feels that it’s important for the youth to know his story.
“It’s easy to get in trouble and it’s hard to get out,” Cooper said. “So, I rather give my input because I’m older, older dude So I have seen a lot, so I really give my input to the kids and let them know that it’s hard out here.”
He’s talking to kids by partnering with The John Marcus Project and Youth Giving Back Sports Mentorship Program.
Youth Giving Back is a sports program built on inspiration, education, and love. They work in disadvantaged communities to help children make positive life choices that enable them to maximize their potential.
It’s a partnership that focuses on reaching kids 9 and older who have already been exposed to situations no children should be aware of.
“To me to reach out to them at a young age is just telling like man this ain’t what’s up,” mentor John Marcus said.
They want to show kids there are other alternatives to violence because, like many people in this city, they are frustrated with the consequences of violence.
“You really don’t see too many people who try to reach out to kids about violence,” Marcus said. “You know, you have a lot of mentors for football, sports and just different stuff, but no one’s really in the neighborhoods trying to say don’t do this and don’t do that.”
They want to show kids there are other ways to solve disputes and get respect.
“You know, they call it beef or ops or whatever they call it. I just tell them, ‘Y’all can talk about it,’” Marcus said. “Just try to walk away from it. Just, you know, say apologize. You know, people are afraid to apologize these days. So if somebody does apologize, well, you know, walk away from it.
“If you help yourself now, you better yourself for the future,” Marcus said.
A seminar will be held Saturday at 1Bridge Connect in the Regency Mall from 3 p.m.-6 p.m.