COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four juveniles were involved in two different shootings on Tuesday night.
One 12-year-old was arrested after the shooting in north Columbus injured two, and no arrests have been made yet in the west Franklin County shooting that also injured two juveniles.
Community activist Ralph Carter said more needs to be done to combat gun violence.
“We got to do more. We got to have more boots on the ground and continue to stay consistent. Fair, firm and consistent with the youth,” said Ralph Carter, founder and CEO of We are Linden.
Carter believes violence among kids starts as an emotional issue.
“It’s a lot of misplaced anger. The children don’t know where to let the anger out or how to let the anger out, so they resort to violence,” said Carter.
He said kids mimic what they see without thinking about the long-term consequences.
“They see what they see in a video game or in a movie or in a music video. They think it’s real life without knowing a bullet or gun is forever and you can’t take it back."
When it comes to resolving gun violence, he believes everyone plays a role — whether that’s volunteering at after school programs or being a role model for children.
“Grab a hold of the youth that are consistently around you. The ones that you can reach be truthful and grab a hold of them."
Carter said parents also play a role in stopping the violence. He said if you own a gun, make sure it’s away from your children.
“We have the gun lock boxes that are being distributed across the city. Get a hold of those because we have young people that are getting a hold of these guns,” he said.