DeKalb County launches $250,000 youth violence prevention effort after Stone Mountain killings

Days after two young boys were shot and killed in Stone Mountain, DeKalb County leaders announced a $250,000 initiative aimed at preventing youth violence by teaching students how to manage conflict, regulate emotions, and make better decisions.

The program, called Education to Empowerment, will include a 12-week, in-school program for students in grades six through 12, focusing on leadership, emotional intelligence, behavior regulation and conflict resolution.

County officials said the initiative has been in development for about a year and was not created in response to Sunday's shooting.

The announcement comes as DeKalb County mourns the deaths of 11-year-old Jamarion Rolay and 12-year-old Jaki Clark, who were killed Sunday in a shooting.

Two women, ages 19 and 37, were also shot and survived, according to DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Patrick.

Police arrested 18-year-old Julian Ellis in connection with the shooting. He faces two counts of felony murder and six counts of aggravated assault. The investigation remains ongoing.

"Whatever disagreement or conflict may have occurred, there is no justification for escalating to gun violence and the loss of two children in our community," Patrick said.

Beyond the classroom, DeKalb County plans to work with community organizations already trying to reach young people.

One of them is Be Someone, founded by Orrin "Checkmate" Hudson, who uses an unlikely tool to teach conflict resolution: a chessboard.

Hudson says he has worked with more than 120,000 young people. His central lesson comes down to six words: "Take time to think things through."

"We've got to teach children how to pause, how to ponder, how to pray, how to pivot. Then you proceed," Hudson said. "But don't do the first thing that pops in your head. The first thing that pops in your head is usually a trap."

On the chessboard, Hudson puts that lesson into practice, asking students to consider a move and then what might happen because of it.

"The moves you make determine the path you take," he said.

Hudson, a former state trooper, said the message comes partly from his own life.  He was once a gang member and spent time in and out of foster homes before a teacher introduced him to chess and challenged him to begin thinking for himself.

When Hudson works with a young person he believes may be headed toward violence, he said he can start with something many adults cannot.

"I was you. I was in your shoes," Hudson said. "Here's how I made better decisions. I started thinking for myself and quit following the follower."

Officials said the initial school-based effort will focus on schools with higher incidents of violence and crime. The county also plans parent engagement, school assemblies, town halls, and additional support for families and young people affected by violence.

DeKalb County Human Services will use crime and youth data to help determine where the new program and community resources are most needed.

Patrick said preventing violence cannot fall to law enforcement alone.

"It requires schools. It requires our government. It requires law enforcement. It requires families. Community partners all working together," he said.

For Hudson, the challenge is reaching a young person in the brief moment between impulse and action while there is still time to choose another way forward.

"Think before you move," he said. "First crack could be a whack, and you can't take it back."

Asked what went through his mind after two children were killed Sunday, Hudson's answer was considerably simpler.

"I feel like I need to do more."