(Memphis) A lot of questions remain after a shooting at, of all places, an anti-violence meeting.
A 17-year-old North Side Prep Academy student was shot in the neck.
He is out of hospital and OK.
No arrests have been made so far.
This all happened when he stepped outside a 901 Bloc Squad meeting in Frayser, a new city initiative, aimed at preventing gang violence.
The leader of the 901 Bloc Squad said the shooting had nothing to do with a Raleigh gang member being brought into Frayser.
However, Delvin Lane says there is nothing wrong with doing that, “We guys to come in and sit down and talk about strategic ways to stop the violence.”
Not everyone agrees with his method.
“They wouldn’t have had that shooting had they not brought that boy here tonight,” said Gang Interventionist Joe Hunter.
Hunter says the violence didn’t have to happen.
“To bring gang members from a different turf is very dangerous,” he said.
“I disagree with that,” said Lang. “Kids in Raleigh come to Frayser every day.”
Lane says as the leader of the 901 Bloc Squad, a group working to reduce crime in Memphis, he plans to keep bringing gang members together and it doesn’t matter the territory.
He says it’s so gang members can learn conflict resolution.
It’s part of the strategy to get teens and young adults to put down the guns.
“And these are active gang members in the same room from different gangs?” asked Reporter Sabrina Hall.
“Yeah,” said Lane.
“And you don`t think something bad is going to happen?”
“I know for a fact nothing bad is going to happen,” said Lane. “I have been doing this for the past two or three years.”
Lane says the formula worked in other cities, like Los Angeles, where some Bloods and Crips reached a truce.
He’s betting that can also happen in Memphis.
