INDIANAPOLIS — Days after gunfire killed a man outside of a Chuck E. Cheese's location in Indianapolis, community advocates are speaking out and encouraging those who witnessed the violent crime to seek help to process their emotions.
"The goal is that they will be able to find some sort of support and healing so they don't normalize that," said Brandon Randall, a longtime advocate in the Indy area. "That's how trauma perpetuates across individuals and communities because it's normalized or we're desensitized to it. We don't want that."
Randall says those needing someone to talk to can reach out to VOICES, a nonprofit that serves the community in a variety of ways.
RELATED | Indiana Mental Health Services Guide
An overlying issue Randall says needs to be addressed are the systemic issues behind the violence happening.
"Why did it have to escalate to violence? What coping schools were lacking? What conflict resolution skills have not been established?" he asked.
A billboard campaign wrapping up highlighted many of the proven reasons people turn to violence: poverty and societal pressure among others.
RELATED | Cycle of Risk: The Intersection of Poverty, Violence, and Trauma
Randall and all the community partners working together know it's going to take time to undue generational trauma. He thinks everyone can play a part in it, they just have to choose to stay positive when faced with these challenging circumstances and situations.
"We all live in this city. It's not one person or one demographic or one side of town's responsibility, every person needs to get involved," Randall said. "Until people feel like they're part of this community, things won't change because people feel like it's a them problem and not an us problem. The reality is, it's a we problem and we have to find solutions."
-
AES Indiana seeks public input on coal ash contamination corrective measures
Groundwater monitoring results of the Harding Street Station's Ash Pond System found levels of arsenic, lithium and molybdenum above groundwater protection standards.
Program trains future teachers at Alexandria-Monroe High School
A pre-apprenticeship program in Alexandria Community School Corporation is helping high school students get a head start on becoming teachers, while also addressing the nationwide teacher shortage.
Fever stays alive in playoffs with 77-60 Game 2 rout over Dream
The Fever hosted their first playoff game since 2016 and fed off the energy of another sellout crowd to earn their first postseason win since Oct. 11, 2015, when they beat the Minnesota Lynx 75-69.
Independent Indiana pushes to put more nonpartisan candidates on ballots
Independent Indiana is working to turn down the temperature on political disagreement by getting more independent candidates on the ballot, its leaders say.
