Columbia leaders make emotional plea for peace among Midlands youth after violent weekend

Holly Poag
·2 min read

Over a breakfast of eggs, bacon and hot coffee, the Columbia Urban League urged community leaders to nurture Columbia’s youth after a weekend of violence.

“We live in a country where we have this warped devotion and allegiance to firearms.” Overture Walker, chairman of the Richland County Council, said. “It’s literally killing our babies; it’s killing our children.”

Columbia Urban League’s Operation Safe Haven held a prayer breakfast Thursday morning at Benedict College’s David H. Swinton Center to promote disparities within youth organizations and encourage efforts to engage Columbia-area kids and teens in healthy activities throughout the summer months.

“Kids are less likely to be in violent issues when they’re involved in the community,” said J.T. McLawhorn, president and CEO of the Columbia Urban League.

Minister LaToya Reed, the director of program management for S.C. Youth ChalleNGe Academy, pleaded for adults to mentor the young people of the Midlands in her keynote address at the prayer breakfast.

“We have children to save and fight for, and we as adults are the ones charged to do it,” Reed said. “I’m tired of attending funerals of a 15-year-old, 16-year-old, a 17-year-old. I’m tired of those things.”

A wave of violence, particularly gun violence, has plagued Midlands youth over recent months. Just this past weekend, at least five local teenagers were shot to death Saturday and Sunday, including four Newberry County teens and an Eau Claire High School senior. On Tuesday, a 13-year-old was charged with having a gun at the Columbiana Centre mall. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott plans to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon addressing the recent violence among young people.

Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook and Columbia City Councilman Ed McDowell were in attendance at the Urban League breakfast. Rickenmann said his office is launching an office of youth gun prevention, a youth violence program and a pilot program paying teens to clean up neighborhoods in Columbia.

Rickenmann praised the energy in the room, saying it’s important to “talk about people getting action plans and getting involved.”

“It’s a community based issue. It’s not just law enforcement, but it takes everybody. It’s going to take the churches, the community, the parents. It’s going to take government, law enforcement and the judicial system all to come together,” Rickenmann said.

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