Combating the surge in youth gun violence in Florida

Florida Matters

A shooting in Ybor City the weekend before Halloween killed two people: 14-year-old Elijah Wilson and 20-year-old Harrison Boonstoppel, and injured 16 others. So far, two people, a 22-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy, have each been charged with second degree murder. Police say the investigation is ongoing. The charges against the 14-year-old highlight a grim fact in Florida: more kids are getting their hands on guns. In a series airing on WUSF this week - Growing Up with Guns - Health News Florida’s Stephanie Colombini examines the consequences: from deaths and injuries to children, to the trauma of losing a loved one to a shooting or being a witness to gun violence. The series also highlights the work being done to push back against gun violence, help kids arrested on gun charges to turn their lives around, and support victims of gun violence. On this episode we sit down with Colombini to talk about what her reporting reveals. Joining the conversation is Freddy Barton, executive director of Safe and Sound Hillsborough, who's working to turn the tide of youth gun violence.