City, state leaders offer solutions to youth gun violence

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - In the wake of several recent shootings involving young people in Toledo, city and state leaders are offering suggestions for solutions to gun violence.

Police say youth violence is an ongoing problem but it’s not unique to our area.

“I mean look if you talk to juvenile judges across the state as I do, or if you talk to county prosecuting attorneys and police officers what they will tell you is that tragically, the age of people who are using guns is going down,” Gov. Mike DeWine said.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 6,000 children under the age of 17 were killed or hurt by a gun in 2022. When visiting Toledo on Wednesday, Ohio DeWine was asked about the gun violence reported here in Toledo.

“You have to go out and investigate these cases and you have to get these people pulled off the street. None of us have a magic wand that can automatically change that. It’s a whole number of things,” DeWine said.

DeWine is pledging $40 million per year for public safety in the state budget.

“Law enforcement plays a role. Law enforcement does not play the entire role,” DeWine said.

Not everyone is so sure DeWine’s plans to reduce violence will help.

“The only way that we can curve violence is change people. Only way to change people is uplift them and uplift their surroundings,” Toledo City Councilwoman Vanice Williams said.

Toledo Councilwoman Vanice Williams says youth violence has been around for decades.

“It’s just now it’s highlighted because it’s so much violence period. There’s too many guns on the street,” Williams said.

To try to get a handle on it, Williams says she and her colleagues are cleaning up neighborhoods and creating youth programs.

“Governor DeWine, unless he’s walking the streets, talking amongst the people, it doesn’t matter if he visits here,” Williams said.

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