Community members to hold town hall amid surge in youth gun violence

CONCORD, N.C. — Concord community advocate Sean Muhammad is hosting a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. to address a recent surge in youth gun violence.

The meeting at the Concord Christian Center aims to bring the community together to find ways to keep children on the right track.

The grassroots effort follows several violent incidents in the past few weeks that left four people dead. In each case, every suspect identified by authorities has been under the age of 20.

Muhammad organized the event to foster conversations between parents and children about crime and the influences impacting youth in Cabarrus County.

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Recent incidents include a shooting Sunday off Fairington Drive that killed Michael Overstreet and Kemauri Blount of Monroe. Concord police arrested three suspects under the age of 20 and charged them in connection with those deaths.

Last month, two people died in a shooting along Kite Court. Raheem Glascoe Jr., 16, has been charged as an adult in that case. In a separate incident during a local Christmas tree lighting, four people were shot during a dispute between teenagers.

Muhammad, a community advocate, said he organized the meeting to help residents share ideas on how to keep children safe. He noted that both the victims of gun violence and the accused killers pay a price for these actions.

“Let’s start with a conversation. Let’s see what you need. Let’s see what is impacting your child,” Muhammad expressed. “Let’s see what it is that makes your child feel like they have to carry a gun.”

The town hall will feature keynote speakers, parents, and a friend of Muhammad who is currently incarcerated. Muhammad said he hopes to hear from children who are struggling and their peers who can provide healthy influences.

“Let’s see someone who doesn’t have to tow a gun. Let’s get somebody who is physically working. Let’s see somebody who’s going to the army. Lets see somebody going to college, maybe that’s the solution,” Muhammad said. “Maybe they need to see that example.”

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Concord Christian Center on Manor Avenue.

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