'There is a better way:' Dozens of people meet to talk about solutions for violence among young people in Tulsa

A few dozen people met Wednesday night to talk about violence among young people in Tulsa.

They called this meeting after a shooting downtown over the weekend left one person dead and six others injured.

The shooting that called for action

Tulsa police say the shooting started as an argument between two groups of people near 2nd Street and Elgin Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on May 4. 

Officers shot both of the shooters, and one of them, Thurman Wilson, died. 

Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen said the fight started over a homicide in 2022. 

Police say five people in the crowd were shot during the gunfight.

Police say officers were already downtown because of the big crowds, so they were able to respond to the shooting immediately. 

Identifying the problem 

Pastors, parents, and even a student spoke about why there's so much violence among young people.

"Right now, a young man his age can go downtown or to the fairgrounds and walk out with a gun with just $400, no ID or nothing," said Kameron Thomas, Kipp Schools senior. 

A grandmother at the meeting said the gangs in Tulsa make it so that young people don't feel safe. 

"They refuse to join the gangs, and when they refuse to join the gangs, both sides are picking on them....turn in the guns for what? They feel like the guns is all they have to help themselves."

"They don't feel safe, and we have to make them feel safe as community members," said Tim Newton, Dream Center Executive Director.

Finding Solutions

One of the pastors said if someone knows a young person has a gun, it needs to be reported. 

Pastor Lorne Green, Tulsa, said, "If you know your nephew or your son or somebody that you know that's got a gun or whatever you need to report it, don't feel sorry for them, because sooner or later if he's carrying a gun, he's going to use it."

A former gang member who is now a case worker for youth services said it's critical for a kid to have someone they can look up to and keep them on a positive path.

"We need more men in the community to step out and just reach out to these young men and embrace them and show them that there is a better way other than gang life and playing with guns," said Vyncent Madden. 

Madden also says that while this meeting was a great start, there is a lot more work to be done, and he hopes there will be more meetings.

A lot of people said they are trying to get a handle on this issue before summer arrives, when kids are out of school and crime spikes.

"It takes other people, it takes that neighbor that's saying 'Hey, go pull your pants up, kid,' like don't do that," Newton.