Youth football event honors late Hampton teen killed by gun violence
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A youth football event aimed at combatting gun violence while creating a positive community atmosphere for teens took place Monday night at Gosnold’s Hope Park.
Hope, Hampton, Football kicked off day two of Youth Violence Prevention Week.
Youth Violence Prevention Week underway in Hampton
The gathering honored 17-year-old Vic’Quan Newton, a Hampton High School student and football standout who was shot and killed this past January.
Classmates and community members gather to remember Hampton teen killed in shooting
Tragedies like Newton’s are what the Hampton Department of Youth and Young Adult Opportunities is trying to prevent while, at the same time, giving today’s youth the skills and resources to be successful, reach their goals and not choose violence.
“I myself was incarcerated for 22 years, so it’s my time to give back,” said mentor and violence prevention counselor George Keenan, “so it’s a relief for myself to be able to help someone, guide them on the right path and not do the things that I did.”
Martez Gurley-El also serves as a mentor through community and faith-based organizations.
“A lot of times their skills aren’t pulled out of them, so we promote creativity over criminality,” Gurley-El said.
Keenan serves as a mentor to 16-year-old Aaron Morrison.
“This program is amazing,” Morrison told 10 On Your Side. “It helps you with a lot of goals that you accomplish, you set for yourself.”
Malachi, 19, mentored by Gurley-El, is working towards becoming an entrepreneur.
“I’m about to build my own lawncare business, so that helped me a lot through the process,” Malachi said.
Monday’s community-wide event was packed with food, fun and a nod to responsible gun ownership.
“We support safe storage of firearms and passing out free gun locks as well,” said Thomas Alston of Aberdeen Youth Football and Cheer.
Alston was joined by James Woodley, Aberdeen commissioner of football.
“To an have an event is to save our kids,” Woodley said. “There’s a lot of gun violence going on. It’s basically to give them a safe place to come.”
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