Boston Taking Steps to Address Gun Violence After Latest Deadly Shooting – NBC Boston

As many families settled into their homes on Sunday night, gunfire rattled neighborhoods across Boston, shaking the nerves of local residents.

In Dorchester, police said a man was shot dead on Center Street and later died at a local hospital, where he was dropped off.

Another person was injured in a shooting on Kingston Street downtown.

In Mattapan, two men were shot dead on Wildwood Street; One of them died, the other was critically injured.

“I really just want everyone to live in peace. I don’t like that,” said Eduardo Torres, who lives in Mattapan. “I have a baby inside. I’m definitely moving, definitely getting out of here because it’s not safe.”

Another Dorchester resident, who asked not to be identified, echoed this view.

“Since I have been on this street, it has probably happened about three times that shots have been fired on this street. I need to get myself and my little ones out of here because it’s a scary situation,” they said.

The Boston Police Department’s investigation into Sunday night’s shooting is ongoing, and authorities have asked the public for help in solving the cases. Anyone with information has been asked to call Homicide at (617) 343-4470. Those who wish to anonymously share information can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or texting the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463).

Part of the city’s effort to address the problem is funding community events in neighborhoods most affected by violence.

During a virtual informational session Monday, Issac Yablo, the mayor’s Senior Advisor on Community Safety, said the city is offering grants of up to $7,000 for events bringing people together in certain parks, streets and community communities this summer. Many of the designated sites are in Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury.

“The reason these areas were chosen are the areas, according to the police department, where much of the community violence is happening and has historically occurred,” Yablo said. “Obviously, a big part of preventing violence and our work to create safer communities is the sense of safety and perceptions of safety that residents have in their communities. My initial thought of what I wanted to call the scholarship was “take back our community”. The idea here is to activate these spaces that have been stigmatized to such an extent that residents know they have to deal with it every day, and historically there may not have been the support needed by the city to support social activities to create peace in these spaces.”

The city is investing $100,000 in this initiative. Applicants must be a neighborhood civic association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, a tenant organization, or a community-based grassroots organization. The applicant’s organization and proposed events must also be community led, have direct contact and liaison with residents in the specific areas listed and have a track record of bringing local residents together. The funding period runs from June 26 to September 1, 2023. Interested organizations are asked to apply by May 22, 2023 at 9:00 a.m

Click here for a link to the application and a list of designated locations.

“It should be the organizations and people in these communities that experience this every day that are empowered by the city to do these things,” Yablo said. “The goal of the funding was to get the funds into the hands of these people so they can activate their community, not for the city to do it. I think part of Mayor Wu’s overall strategy is to have a healthy and safe Boston. These communities, historically marginalized, need to be just as healthy and safe as the communities that are thriving.”

Yablo is also getting involved through community meetings in different neighborhoods throughout the month of May.

“The purpose of this Community Listening Tour is, first, to hear what constituents want in terms of a summer plan, and second, to share the work I’ve done to create a plan that isn’t summer-specific, but one that’s hugely relevant during the summer months, but is a year-round plan that is also an extension of this broader community engagement process that I and other people from the Mayor’s Office and the Health Commission are working on to put the community at the center and the community embedding in that the work we are doing is progressing,” said Yablo. “That’s just the beginning.”

“Violence, the best way for us to fight it, is to engage in it in a way that addresses the problem. Therefore, it will be crucial to create opportunities for organizations to apply for funding to develop policies and programs to help reduce this summer of violence,” said Councilor Julia Mejia.

“I think we really need to think outside the box when it comes to programming. So we know we are dealing with a post-pandemic mental health crisis, so any programming that helps address the social, emotional and psychological well-being of our constituents is critical.”