Local barbers and hair stylists in Cincinnati, Ohio, have come together to hold a gun prevention event for kids in honor of an 11-year-old child who was killed in a drive-by shooting last year.
Gun Violence Prevention Event Held in Ohio
The event, called "Kutt'n 4 Gun Violence," was held at the Seven Hills Neighborhood Homes. Community members and hair stylists offered children free haircuts and braids as well as free snacks. The initiative was also coupled with conversations about the danger of firearms. The initiative was organized by barber Issac Davis, the father of 11-year-old Domonic Davis.
"I used to cut Dominic's hair, and it was just something I wanted to do to give back to the community as a way to help gun violence so we can stop gun violence," Davis said in an interview with Local 12.
"Telling them not to be a part of guns. Asking them, do they know anyone with a gun? To not hang with the wrong crowd. Anything can happen, they can be standing by the wrong person and there's gunfire and they're a victim and they're not the intended target," he added.
Dominic was one of six people who were shot on Nov. 3, 2023, in a drive-by shooting near Laurel Playground. The suspect fired 22 rounds into the crowd. Dominic died at the scene while the other children were wounded. Five of the six people shot in the incident were under the age of 18.
The police have yet to make an arrest related to the drive-by shooting, per Fox 19.
Dominic's family launched the "Forever Eleven" foundation in honor of their son. The foundation plans to host four events yearly in their son's memory, with the aim of putting a stop to gun violence.
"We want parents to make sure their kids are more aware of their surroundings. Even if they're outside playing, unfortunately, they should be aware of their surroundings," Lakisha McFarland, Dominic's mother, told WCPO.
Children Death Due to Gun Violence in the US
In 2023, there were 18,854 gun-related deaths reported in the US. Of those, 297 were children between the ages of 0 and 11 and 1,385 were teens ages 12 to 17.
During the same period, there were 36,338 gun-related injuries recorded across the nation. At least 641 of those injured victims were children ages 0 to 11 while 3,871 were teens ages 12 to 17, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
