LAUREL, Del. -- On Sunday, a shooting killing one teenager shook the Laurel community and sparked frustration amongst neighbors who say violence between young people in the area has spiraled out of control.
Following the fatal incident, neighbors and activists gathered to pray for the victims and all involved.
"We have been out here in the streets since April," says Amy Handy with Operation West Laurel. "We've been trying not only to pray, but to talk with our youth, engage with our youth. We've been engaging with our town council and our mayors, sitting down with our police officers. We have been trying to sit at the table to come up with solutions to try to figure out how we can stop the violence in our streets."
Handy and other members of Operation West Laurel are pushing local leaders to enact a juvenile curfew to keep teenagers off the streets at night.
Dannora Elzey says the curfew is just one piece of the puzzle.
"This is not just a West Laurel issue," says Elzey. "This is a Town of Laurel issue. We've got to come together."
"It is devastating and every time it keeps happening, it reopens the wound," says Elzey. "We do not want our young people to feel like they have to take matters into their own hands. We have to show them as adults that we are rational thinking people and that they're children with emotions, but we can help them bring those emotions into some kind of resolution."
Neighbor Yneice Chandler agrees. She hopes Sunday's shooting is a wake up call for all.
"As a mother to these children, just think before you start taking somebody's life," says Chandler. "Is it worth it? is it worth giving your life up? Is it worth killing somebody? Cause we're hurting out here. Our kids are hurting."
Delaware State Police confirm to WBOC that one person has died and two additional people were injured in the shooting. The identity of the victims remains unknown, but Police say they are all teenage males.
