A former gang member turned motivational speaker spent time talking with middle school students onMonday, urging them to avoid a path of violence that almost destroyed his life.
Derrick Russell, who was shot six times while serving as leader of the Short North Posse, wasarrested in 1995, 10TV's Chuck Strickler reported.
During his more than 11 years in prison, Russell said he saw the error of his ways and becamea self-taught motivational speaker.
On Monday, Russell spoke with students at Clinton Middle School – a school that lost one ofits students last year to a shooting.
"It just happened so fast; I was right next to him when he was shot," said Chris Bowden.
Russell said he knew what the students experienced. He also talked about a night when adetective talked straight with him.
"You ain't going to be satisfied until you're lying down here dead, or you do life in prison,"Russell said. "I didn't know what he was talking about, but 12 years later I understood what he'stalking about. He was trying to save my life."
Russell relied on that experience to try and save others.
"We're going to have to hit these streets, be about our business and do that," Russell said."I truly believe that we're dealing with a mindset, and our mind is uncultivated. Until we startgetting our minds mature, then we can really be about this work."
Residents with information about gang activity in their neighborhoods were urged to call theColumbus police gang hotline at 614-645-GANG.
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