‘Their life matters:’ US Attorney addresses gun violence with Asheville community leaders

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A Step Forward to Reduce Gun Violence

On Thursday, Aug. 22, Dena King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, visited Asheville to speak before black pastors and community leaders with a focus on empowering ordinary citizens to have an impact on violence and public safety. The forum was arranged by the Asheville Police Department and Chief Mike Lamb with an aim to fortify community relations and build trust.

Empowering Local Citizens

“One of the things that’s important to me is crime prevention. We have to be intentional to try and prevent crime,” King said in her address before dozens of attendees in the fourth-floor meeting room of the Asheville Police Department (APD). After her address, the APD officers discussed a focus on recruiting local candidates for basic law enforcement training in order to establish a stronger police force.

Building a Stronger Community

King stressed upon the epidemic of gun violence and the disproportionate impact it is having on the young black men, being both victims and assailants. “This crisis, this problem…Violent crime is impacting all of us. And quite honestly, it’s way too great for just law enforcement to act.” She emphasized on the role that community members and groups can play in changing the narrative around violence in Asheville.

“We need everyone to roll up their sleeves, being willing to go into the community into the trenches, and letting our young people know that they’re worth saving – that their life matters,” she added.

Asheville Facing Challenges

This summer, Asheville witnessed an unsettling instance of violence at Livingston Heights, a public housing project, where a fight escalated into guns drawn and a woman shot dead. Shortly after, Caleb Gilliam, 29, was murdered not far from the same location.

These incidents have fueled a sense of urgency among community leaders. “I have sons here in Asheville, and I’m well acquainted with the violence that’s going on,” said Roderick Sanders, pastor at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church. Pastors and community leaders stressed the need for consistency in approaches to tackle violence.

Statistics Reveal Stark Disparity

Data from the APD for a five-year period between 2017 and 2023 indicated that 63% of murder victims were Black, even though African Americans only make up approximately 11% of Asheville’s population. Such disproportionate rates reinforce the importance of the initiatives discussed by King.

Initiatives to Curb Violence

King proposed several strategies to address the issue, including securing grant money to support non-profit outreach groups. The idea is to create a nexus that works with young men and women, educating them about the importance of making good decisions and raising awareness about the lifelong impacts that result from the use of firearms. Furthermore, she stressed on the importance of nurturing the youth, and dispelling myths that glorify crime and incarceration.

“Some of the things they’re hearing from their peers is: ‘It’s cool to get charges. It’s cool to go to jail.’ We’re trying to dispel those myths. We should be talking to young people about making good decisions. We should be talking to them about the effects of drug usage and [the] impact of firearms, and the way to strategically make decisions and disagree without reverting to firearms,” King pointed out.