Greater Valley Coalition Against Violence holds meeting 2 days after Pittsburgh mass shooting
BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) -- Two days after a mass shooting in Pittsburgh, community members, educators and anti-violence activists gathered for a monthly meeting.
The Greater Valley Coalition Against Violence met for its monthly meeting on Tuesday in Braddock. Its mission is to reduce gun violence in the Mon Valley.
Lee Davis, the coalition's leader, mentored 17-year-old Mathew Steffy-Ross, who was one of the two teens killed in the mass shooting at an Airbnb party on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
"He was funny, he was charismatic," Davis said. "If he loved you, he made sure he let you know he loves you. He would give you the shirt off of his back."
Cindy Chung, the U.S Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, was at the meeting. Her office already works with several community groups to disrupt and prevent violence.
"It was extremely sad," Chung said. "Very tragic to hear about the events this weekend."
She said her office is ready to help.
"To the extent that I can try to bring solutions or bring resources to the problem, I want to do that," Chung said.
"We will have to see what the data actually shows, but it feels like there are more juvenile-involved shootings," she added.
She said communities need support now.
"A lot of the research shows that violence is a trauma response and we have to understand that," Chung said. "These communities are traumatized by these incidents."
Davis said he wants to help his mentee fulfill his dream of launching a clothing line. He said Steffy-Ross designed a shirt.
"We are not going to sell them, just give them to friends and family and classmates. Celebrate him that way," Davis said.
Davis said those shirts will come out next week. He said the idea behind them is that people can overcome anything by staying in the fight of life and having positive mindsets.
