Gun violence impacts a wider community with every murder (LA PARKER COLUMN)

Tinia, a 20-year-old woman affiliated with the James Halsey Foundation of the Arts, attended a conference room in Hamilton Twp. resident organization place.

Her spontaneous arrival added to the already lengthy conversation with James Halsey about Dante Leverett, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed on September 22, Tinia's birthday.

“I was excited when I turned 20. “I never would have thought that,” she revealed. Her admission sounded far removed from youthful ambitions, which are often associated with hope, dreams and adventure.

Part of their truncated expectations referred to a neighborhood filled with violence and “insane drama.” Another factor concerned death and all the dark moments that accompany homicide.

“Probably four or five,” Tinia replied, referring to the number of friends lost to gun violence. Black and Latino youth are 20 times more likely to be victims of firearm homicide than their white peers.

According to the Giffords Law Center, which has collected information from cities such as Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Rochester, “the vast majority of shootings in these cities – and in similar communities across the country – are committed by a very small number of people.” But the Impacts of this violence are felt throughout entire communities, contributing to generations of trauma and collective grief that disproportionately affect Black people.

The vast majority of gun deaths among black Americans are related to firearm homicides. Although black boys and men make up only six percent of the total population, they account for more than half of all gun homicide victims.

Dante Leverett followed his best friend, Stephon Fisher, 18, onto the murder list in Trenton. Fisher died in May 2024 after being shot in the Kingsbury Towers, a city high-rise with a violent history.

Tinia, who showed several photos of Dante when they met several years ago and recent pictures, said Leverett sent a text message on her birthday, one of his last life announcements.

“Happy birthday,” Leverett wrote. She replied, “Good looking.” That was about 10:30 p.m.,” she remembers. Two hours later, police said Leverett had a physical altercation with another young man at the intersection of Parkside and Homan avenues. Leverett died at 12:32 p.m. after he was reportedly shot in the back

News of the murder surfaced on social media, although no identity was revealed. Later that day, Tinia texted Dante. “Are you okay, brother?” No answer. Dante Leverett had died hours earlier, leaving behind his family and several close friends.

Experts estimate that three to ten relatives, family members, friends and others are affected by each murder. Tinia seemed resigned to the feelings, reactions and dark conspiracy associated with this plague overshadowing black America.

At least she was 20 years old.

LA Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at [email protected].