[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 4, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1472-S1474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GAME CHANGERS STUDY

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I recently had the honor of being welcomed 
by Game Changers, an organization based in Louisville, KY, devoted to 
guiding our youth toward productive and meaningful lives, for a panel 
discussion on the impact of violence in our community. The executive 
director of Game Changers is Christopher 2X, who I have known for many 
years and watched change the lives of so many Kentuckians through his 
advocacy, leadership, and community building efforts. In December of 
2019, just a few months ago, Christopher showed me the findings of Game 
Changers's study on the impact of youth violence recently released by 
his organization. Subsequently, I asked him to organize an event in 
West Louisville with a panel of community leaders and parents to 
discuss the report and how violent crime affects the lives of 
Louisville youth.
  At the event, we not only discussed the findings, but also heard from 
Louisvillians whose real-life stories are contained in the pages of 
those reports. Kentucky Education Commissioner, Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, 
educated us on the burden that violence has on children. However, the 
only way to grasp the true tragedy of violent crime is to hear from 
those impacted. I met with Deshante Edwards, who not only lost her son, 
Donte, but now sees her 6-year-old grandson subsequently lose focus in 
school. I listened as Krista and Navada Gwynn told me that, as a result 
of the murder of their son, Christian, their 17- and 11-year old 
children are too petrified to go outside. Only personal stories such as 
these truly demonstrate the extreme toll taken on children exposed to 
violence.
  That is why I feel compelled to share Game Changers's findings on 
violence and its impact on our youth with my colleagues. Tragically, 
children are exposed to violence in every corner of our Nation. I ask 
unanimous consent that this report be printed in the Congressional 
Record with the hope that every Member of Congress will read it and 
work with me to create safer communities for our children.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as fallows: ,

                  Violence Impact on Children Learning

   The Christopher 2X Game Changers Target Education--Crush Violence


            SHINING A LIGHT ON HOW GUN VIOLENCE IMPACTS KIDS

     Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Wayne D. Lewis
       ``Children who grow up in violent neighborhoods seldom 
     realize their way of life is not typical. Their lives may 
     include regularly hearing gunshots through the night and 
     sometimes during the day, losing friends, family, and 
     neighbors to gun violence, and continually being fearful of 
     becoming the victim of violent crime.
       No parent wants that kind of life for their children, but 
     that is what life looks like for children living in violent 
     neighborhoods across the U.S., including children in some 
     Louisville neighborhoods. The trauma they suffer is unlike 
     anything children growing up in upper middle class or 
     affluent neighborhoods could imagine. And the impact of that 
     trauma, while often unrecognized, is significant; often 
     impacting their ability to reach their learning potential at 
     school.
       Recognizing and responding to the trauma of students who 
     experience violence has to be part of how we educate them. 
     There is no way to reasonably expect students who have 
     experienced such trauma to leave their fears, anxieties, and 
     pain at home when they come to school. Instead, it is 
     incumbent upon schools to help connect students with 
     community resources as appropriate, and to do our absolute 
     best to be sensitive to and accommodate students' social and 
     emotional needs as we work to meet their academic needs in 
     schools.''
     Jenny Benner, Senior Director-Child Development Center, 
         Chestnut Street Family YMCA
       ``As an early childhood educator, it has become more common 
     to see children who have been affected in some way by 
     violence. Many of the children we serve are too young to 
     verbalize their trauma or stress. Because of this, we have to 
     ensure early childhood educators have the training and 
     support needed to help these children build resilience. We 
     focus heavily on a child's social-emotional development and 
     the first step is to make sure they feel safe and loved.
       Once in a safe environment, they will open up to learn 
     skills necessary to be successful in school and life. It is 
     also important to teach problem-solving and how to resolve 
     conflicts appropriately, using words. I believe this skill is 
     lacking in some children and they are most likely to continue 
     cycles of violence because that is all they know. This report 
     shines a light on how important education is, even as early 
     as infancy, and my hope is that this will start a dialogue 
     about how we as a community can come together to serve 
     children to our best ability!''
     Jefferson Family Court Judge Derwin Webb
       ``When I was 15 years old, one of my good friends was 
     accidentally shot and killed by a friend. A few years later, 
     that same shooter was accidentally shot and killed by someone 
     else. Today, we have kids killing kids--at random times--
     intentionally. Louisville, we are better than this. Guns have 
     no names, bullets have no names, but our children do. So, I 
     am asking you to please, please stop the violence. I started 
     YOUNG Men's Academy at Whitney Young Elementary, a mentorship 
     program, to try to help, and I applaud this report and all 
     efforts to bring attention to the needs of kids exposed to 
     violence, and to help them reach their potential.''
     Dr. J. David Richardson, Chief of Surgery, University of 
         Louisville Hospital
       ``Having been involved in the care of the injured for over 
     40 years, I applaud the current focus on the downstream 
     effects of gun violence in our community. As trauma surgeons, 
     our team focuses on the ``victim'' or injured. We analyze 
     their care and outcomes through our quality review process, 
     but we have few, if any, mechanisms for examining the effects 
     on families, neighbors, or others in the community who are 
     impacted by this violence. I have been particularly concerned 
     about the children who bear witness to these acts, even if 
     they are not directly or physically injured. How can a 
     growing, evolving, learning, adapting brain develop as we 
     would desire in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear? I have 
     heard countless stories of the deleterious effects of these 
     acts of violence and their negative impact on the culture and 
     well-being of our neighborhoods. While it is cliche to state 
     ``our children are our future'', it is nonetheless true. The 
     children who are exposed to gun violence in Louisville 
     deserve better.''
     Troy Pitcock, retired LMPD Major 2nd Division
       ``Gun violence has a horrifying impact on our youth. 
     Witnessing it directly or the remnants of violence at police 
     crime scenes are situations too many of our youth are exposed 
     to, many times at such early ages. These situations have life 
     lasting implications on children, at times creating a 
     perception such violence is acceptable. A lack of parental 
     support can enhance the believe to our youth that such 
     actions are acceptable or even the proper method to deal with 
     conflict.''


                             CHRISTOPHER 2X

       Imagine you're a mom at home watching a video with your 
     kids and their playmates on a Saturday afternoon when all a 
     sudden your home is being riddled with bullets from a high-
     caliber weapon.
       Bullets through the walls, furniture, shattering the oven 
     door, while you scramble to get the little ones on the floor, 
     covered with your body, and under a bed, to keep them safe.
       No imagination is needed. This happened to my daughter 
     Heaven, a child development specialist, who was with six 
     children, ages 1-7, when her home was hit with gunfire from 
     an AK-47 in the middle of the afternoon last Dec. 1. Two 
     neighboring apartments in the new Shepherd Square complex 
     just east of downtown also were hit.
       While thankfully no one was physically hurt, the trauma 
     from exposure to such a violent act can interrupt a child's 
     normal development and ability to learn in school.
       My daughter's experience and a spike in gun violence last 
     summer--with teens shooting automatic weapons out of stolen 
     cars, kids as young as 13 charged with murder--made me want 
     to shine a light on the impact of gun violence on children 
     and their learning.
       As a peace and justice advocate for nearly 20 years, I know 
     my daughter's experience is not unique. In all parts of our 
     city, citizens report hearing gunfire to police every day and 
     gunshots have been heard outside my daughter's apartment 
     multiple times since the day her home was splattered with 
     bullets.
       In the first nine months of this year, 65 of the 73 murders 
     in Louisville Metro were from

[[Page S1473]]

     gunfire, and family and friends--including many young 
     children--struggle with the losses. In all, 276 people were 
     shot from January-September, more than 30 people a month.
       Children suffer if they get hit by bullet, witness a 
     shooting, lose someone close or live on edge because the 
     crack of gunshots is as common as the chirping of a songbird. 
     They often can't focus or learn in school. Some can't sleep 
     and have nightmares. Some withdraw, others act out or 
     retaliate and resort to violence themselves.
       In sharing their stories on the following pages--some 
     redemptive, some tragic--we can all have a better 
     understanding of what this sick culture of gun violence is 
     doing to our children and their ability to learn. We can all 
     do a better job recognizing children who are suffering and 
     providing help they need to succeed in school and reach their 
     potential.
       There are many people--teachers, police officers, 
     counselors, therapists, physicians, nurses, others--doing 
     amazing work to help victims and their families. But much 
     more is needed. Here is my call to action as a start:
       Parents/adults with children under your care: Talk to your 
     child's teacher or school counselor if your child has been 
     exposed to violence so they can be supportive and helpful. 
     Don't assume your child is ok. Seek services for your child 
     through the school or others such as their doctor if your 
     family needs help.
       Teachers: Know the symptoms of trauma in a child, which 
     vary based on age and the individual child but include acting 
     out, aggressive verbal or physical behavior, or withdrawal 
     and not doing their work. Use school resources to link the 
     child to professional evaluation and help.
       Principals/administrators: Support teacher training at your 
     schools, and make sure children in need receive evaluations 
     and follow up treatment if needed.
       I am deeply grateful to survivors of gun violence and 
     others for sharing their stories. May God bless the victims, 
     survivors and the angels in their lives who support them.


                         DEVIN SESAY AND FAMILY

       Before June 13, he was excited about his upcoming freshman 
     year at Atherton High School. He was also relieved because 
     his big brother, Devin Sesay, a rising Atherton senior, would 
     teach him the ropes at his new school.
       The brothers would walk to the bus stop together every 
     morning. On the first day, they would be sporting new shoes 
     that Devin, a smart dresser, would find online.
       Everything changed on June 13 for the boy, 14, and his 
     close extended family whose members first came to the United 
     States 27 years ago to escape war-torn Liberia in West 
     Africa.
       On June 13, Devin was shot and died on Roselane Street in 
     Smoketown, three doors down from the family's home. He was 
     17. Family members said Devin had been walking home late at 
     night from playing basketball in nearby Shelby Park when 
     shots were fired from a passing car.
       Devin's family--his grandfather, mother and four brothers, 
     his aunt and cousins--are dealing with devastating shock, 
     grief and anger over his murder, while also coping with other 
     major life adjustments.
       A few weeks after Devin's murder, his mother, grandfather 
     and brothers moved to a brick ranch house and new school 
     district 13 miles away in southern Jefferson County.
       ``I was afraid for the boys,'' said their mother, Maima 
     Karneh, 41, a certified nurse assistant who works nights at 
     the Home of the Innocents, not far from Smoketown.
       Her boys and other children often hung out at their home, 
     inside playing video games, outside on the porch or nearby 
     throwing a football or shooting hoops.
       She liked having them around the house where they'd lived 
     for 10 years, she said, because it meant they weren't on the 
     street. She enforced stern rules, checked on her boys often 
     by phone and Devin had never been in any trouble, she said.
       Ten days after Devin's murder, another shooting solidified 
     her decision to move. On June 23, Tyrese Garvin, 20, was shot 
     almost directly across the street from where her son was 
     killed. Garvin had been visiting his newborn twins at 
     University Hospital. He died five days later in the same 
     hospital where his twins were being treated. Three juveniles 
     including a 14-year-old were charged with his murder.
       ``There was no way we were going to stay,'' Karneh said.
       She and Devin knew Garvin, who was a senior when Devin was 
     a freshman at Atherton and Garvin attended Devin's memorial 
     service, a few days before he was murdered.
       In their new home, Devin's portrait hangs in the living 
     room near the front door and his brother at times stares at 
     it. ``It reminds me of how many good days we had,'' he said. 
     ``I was supposed to go to Atherton with him this year. He was 
     supposed to show me the bus stops and everything and it just 
     kills me.'' Instead his brother is gone, he's is a new 
     neighborhood and attending Moore High School, and he said it 
     doesn't feel right.
       The school alerted his mother to concerns about him 
     focusing and his grief and he and family members are 
     receiving counseling. Two other younger brothers, 11 and 13, 
     are attending Moore Middle School and said they are doing 
     their best to live up to Devin's memory.
       Devin's four brothers--the oldest is 21--and a 10-year-old 
     cousin were at home when Devin was killed and some of them 
     heard the shots.
       Karneh's 14-year-old son called her at work to report 
     hearing gunfire and that Devin was not home. When Devin did 
     not respond to her texts, ``I knew it was him,'' she said.
       Her sister, Sietta Karneh, said the family wants to keep 
     Devin's memory alive. He was an outgoing, athletic, fun 
     teenager with a slew of friends who have taken his death 
     hard, posting remembrances on social media, his aunt said. 
     She and her sister have raised their kids as one family. ``I 
     also lost a son,'' she said about Devin. ``I can't get over 
     how close to home he was when they took his 
     life . . . . I can't get over this nightmare.''
       *Deadliest Month of 2019: June--15 homicides, the highest 
     number of murders in any month in the past five years and 
     more than twice the seven homicides in June 2018.


                         A FAMILY HUNKERS DOWN

       Near 22nd and Oak streets in West Louisville, a 12-year-old 
     boy and his 13-year-old sister decided to stay inside during 
     the summer because they were afraid they'd get shot if they 
     ventured outdoors.
       Their parents don't want their names revealed. ``We are so 
     close to it. We're a stone's throw away from it in either 
     direction,'' their father said about the gun violence.
       Their mother, who remembers a safe environment when she was 
     growing up in the neighborhood, said they hear gunshots two 
     or three times a month at least, usually at night. She said 
     they stay inside, and don't go near the windows.
       ``You hear it so much you get used to it. You hope the 
     gunshots don't affect your family.'' When news reports 
     spotlight a deadly shooting in areas where she has family 
     ``you think my brother lives down there. I hope it wasn't 
     him. You tend to tense up when you hear things like that.''
       Their children are keenly aware, too. They know about 
     gunshot deaths not far from their home during the summer, and 
     a video on social media of teens with guns touting an ``east 
     vs west'' rivalry with random gun violence.
       ``It's messed up,'' the boy said.
       He said he began staying inside their house in early July 
     after he was outside with friends in the early evening and a 
     car pulled up on their street with a gun pointing out the 
     window. He ran to his backyard and said after that, ``I 
     decided on my own not to go out.''
       His sister said she thinks ``the world's just getting 
     violent.'' She didn't go outside ``because the west and the 
     east was doing a shootout.'' She said she learned about it 
     through a video on Facebook.
       Their parents said they don't call police because they 
     don't think there is much the police can do, although they 
     wish there were more routine police patrols visible on their 
     streets. Police respond to gunfire, but without adequate 
     information they are unable to make an arrest, their father 
     said.
       ``You don't want to keep your kids locked in,'' their 
     mother said. ``You are scared for their safety, too. You 
     don't know what to do.''
       Citizen reports of hearing gunshots over 18 months, from 
     Jan. 1, 2018-June 2019, totaled 4,558, from every Louisville 
     Metro police district.
       Homicides by police district Jan.-Sept. 2019: 1st 
     District--12; 2nd District--25; 3rd District--11; 4th 
     District--13; 5th District--3; 6th District--5; 7th 
     District--2; 8th District--2; Total: 73.


                          diontae ``tay'' reed

       At 18, Diontae ``Tay'' Reed seems happy, with a playful 
     sense of humor and a lot to be proud of--good grades, a 
     diploma from Ballard High School, a future full of 
     possibilities including college.
       He's come a long way from age 13 when he was shot in the 
     back, underwent surgery and spent 11 days in the hospital. 
     His homes have been shot up four different times, and he 
     knows more people who have been shot or killed than he can 
     count on both hands.
       ``I knew about the violence in my neighborhood at a young 
     age,'' he said. ``I have trust issues. I don't trust people 
     easily so wherever I go I'm always looking.''
       Now he's the first person in his family to have graduated 
     from high school, months after he and his family--his mother 
     and a younger sister--were evicted from their home in the 
     Portland neighborhood. He is staying with a friend's family 
     while his mother and sister are living apart with relatives. 
     He takes the bus from the apartment where he is living in the 
     Portland neighborhood to Mall St. Matthews and back for his 
     part-time job at a shoe store.
       Diontae wonders if he's ready for college, and he's deeply 
     worried about how he would pay for tuition, but he is 
     exploring options as he also dreams of having a driver's 
     license and a car someday.
       He credits his mother, who ``was always on me'' for keeping 
     him on the right track, off the streets and focused on 
     school. He also credits Ballard High School teachers and a 
     special tutor for helping him achieve. ``I always made 
     teachers laugh,'' he said with a smile, and ``they became 
     friends to me.'' He can tick off the names of several he 
     admired.
       He attended Shawnee Academy his freshman year but pursued a 
     transfer to Ballard with the help of his mother. ``I felt 
     like if I had stayed at that school I wouldn't have learned 
     anything,'' because teachers spent so much time trying to 
     control the classroom, he said.
       His cousin had been doing well at Ballard, had a tutor, and 
     he thought that formula would also work for him, and it did.

[[Page S1474]]

       ``I'm seeing I'm getting good grades,'' he said. ``I do not 
     want to go home and be on the streets and do something that 
     could get me killed.''
       His two older brothers, 23 and 22, chose a ``way different 
     path.'' When he was shot four years ago, he was running away 
     from a fight his brothers got into with another group of 
     boys. When asked why he thought his homes had been shot up in 
     the past, he responded, ``my brothers.'' While he's close to 
     them, ``I could never ask them what they're doing.''
       While in the hospital, recovering from surgery and a 
     collapsed lung, he was angry but told relatives and friends 
     who visited him that he didn't want any more violence, no 
     retaliation. He said he would have liked to have seen whoever 
     shot him go to jail but no arrests were made.
       He participated in the Christopher 2X ``Hood2Hood'' 
     antiviolence campaign, preaching non-violence door-to-door 
     and in neighborhoods and remains active in anti-violence and 
     community service programs.
       ``The violence going on now is terrible, crazy,'' he said. 
     ``People don't even want to go outside because of what is 
     going on.''
       73--Number of homicides in Louisville in the first nine 
     months of 2019, an increase of nearly 20 percent compared to 
     the first nine months of 2018 when 61 murders were committed.
       72.6%--53, of the 73 homicide victims in the first nine 
     months of 2019 were black compared to 63% for the same time 
     period in 2018.
       32%--of the victims, 25 killed, were under age 25, with 
     eight victims 11-17 years old. One victim was under age 11.
       Homicides: 2014: 55; 2015: 80; 2016: 118; 2017: 102; 2018: 
     80.
       89% of the 73 murder victims, 65 people, in the first nine 
     months of 2019 were killed by gunfire, the highest percentage 
     of homicides by gunfire for a comparable time period in the 
     past five years.

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