RICHMOND, Va. -- J.J. Minor will never forget April 14, 2024.
"It was just a sad day, sad day to see such a life that's now gone," he said. "Over senseless gun violence. Ridiculous."
Minor said that day, he heard gunshots ring out near his home. Richmond Police later reported a 16-year-old was killed and four other people were shot.
"That young man that took his last breath, that day in Fulton," Minor said. "I remember that."
It's a string of shootings leading the Richmond, Virginia Branch NAACP, which Minor is President of, to partner with police, city leaders and faith groups to travel to what Richmond Police have deemed to be 22 different "hot spots" across the city.
Most of the spots are located on Richmond's Southside and East End.
The community partnership is part of "Local Day Out," which also falls on the same day as National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
The Richmond Branch NAACP will be surveying residents in those hotspots about community violence and the changes they'd like to see. Those survey results will then be shared with community advocacy groups, city council and even state leaders.
Minor said the approach differs from other gun violence intervention methods, saying the NAACP met with residents prior to hosting Local Day Out to ask if it's something the community wanted.
"We're going to the hotspots, where most folks are afraid to go," Minor said. "Often folks sit around tables making decisions for folks, but they never include the folks that live there, so we're going to the hotspots, talking to people, and getting some suggestions, and then we're going to take it back to city council and hope city council can adopt it."
The goal is to get ideas through surveys, as well as more people on board to serve the community, as soon as possible, as the summer months typically mean increased crime trends.
"I remember talking to a particular pastor and he was eager to join on, he said 'Yes, we’re involved, just tell me what we need to do.' Well, this is talking to him that day, and then 12 hours later, there was a homicide outside his church,” said Sandra Antione, head of Political Action with the Richmond Branch NCAAP.
"It may not be your loved one, your neighbor, but that's someone's neighbor and that's someone's family member," Antione said.
Though these hotspots are at the heart of this Friday's event, they may not be forever, as hotspots change.
"The thing about it is, for a long time, it was just Richmond, but now this violence has spread to Chesterfield, it's spread into Henrico, and we need folks to stand up, and say something, because guess what? It could be your doorstep next."
The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. throughout the day at multiple locations in those 22 hotspots. Community members in those areas should receive fliers and other messaging from the NAACP before Friday with more details.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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