WISH-TV is working with community leaders to curb youth violence through YATVAC, which stands for Youth Alternatives To Violence and Crime.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis teens gathered Monday night at the Indy Arts Center to perform plays addressing gun violence from their perspective, as part of the national Enough program.
Multiple states have Enough programs to let teens to express their pain and purpose on stage, aiming to start conversations and raise awareness.
Aveanna Davidson, one of the teens, said, “I thought this was a really cool opportunity, I thought this was an interesting way to talk about gun violence and start to have a conversation around it.”
The Enough program was founded in 2019, inspired by the Parkland High School shooting in Florida, where a teen gunman killed 17 students and staff.
Brandon Yates, a 17-year-old student from Warren Central High School, participated in the event, portraying a character who has been shot and is fighting for his life. “God, I don’t want to go, but every second, it’s getting harder to breathe, I just need to stay,” he said during his performance.
Other teen actors emphasized the importance of young voices in discussing the impact of gun violence, noting that storytelling can offer a unique perspective.
Marie McCracken, 10, made her acting debut, highlighting the importance of understanding that guns are not toys and can harm others. “It feels good, and I also like it because people should know that guns are not toys. They are something that can be used on other people.”
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