Community calls for end to violence after troubling weekend in St. Paul
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Members of the St. Paul community are calling for peace amid a string of violent crimes connected to teenagers.
Most recently, a drive-by shooting injured three teenagers attending a funeral reception for 15-year-old Devin Scott at the Wellstone Community Center on the city’s West Side.
Scott was fatally stabbed at Harding High School earlier this month — a killing that police say is part of an ongoing conflict between rival groups of teens.
“It’s sad because I don’t like the situation of the young generation and how it’s going,” said Charlie Scott, who lives walking distance from the Wellstone Center.
“I was saying to the people, ‘I could have been walking to the store and they ride back, I could have been shot,'” he added.
A St. Paul police officer collects evidence at the site of a drive-by shooting that injured three teenagers Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, at the Wellstone Community Center in St. Paul. (KSTP/file)
Community activists such as Nasiy Nasir X with the Lion of Judah Armed Forces say violence intervention resources are needed to stop the violence.
“Our community and the youth in our community need conflict resolution centers on basically learning how to deal with the issues, deal with anger management,” Nasir X said. “Also, a lot of our people are dealing with mental health as well. We need resources for mental health.”