PLANNING
PLANNING I-270 NORTH OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS.
>>> IN OTHER NEWS, THE STORIES
ARE HEART BREAKING, YOUNG LIVES
LOST TO VIOLENCE4@.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CRIMES
ARE OFTEN GANG MEMBERS.
A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS STABBED
AND BEATEN TO DEATH IN PRINCE
GEORGE'S COUNTY AND POLICE SAY
A GANG TIED TO MS13 IS TO
BLAME. 4@
BLAME. 4@
BLAME. 4@ BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, LETS
TALK ABOUT SOME SOLUTIONS.
SOMETIMES POLICE AREN'T THE
ONLY ANSWER. 4@
A GROUP WITH A CRIMINAL PAST OF
DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO MAKE OUR
COMMUNITY SAFER.
COMMUNITY SAFER. HERE IS LORENZO HALL.
>>4@ FEELS RIGHT.
DUDES HAVE ISSUES OVER THE
SMALLEST STUFF.
SMALLEST STUFF. FEMALES, MIGHT HAVE STEPPED ON
MY SHOE OR SOMETHING, LOOKED AT
ME THE WRONG WAY.
LIKE MY FATHER COULD HAVE JUST
DIED, I MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH4
SOMETHING RIGHT NOW AND YOU
WORRYING HOW I AM LOOKING AT
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>
YOU. >> Reporter: ON THESE STREETS
IN 4@SOUTHEAST DC, CHAUNCEY
ANDERSON SAID HE 4@HAD TO CARRY
GUN, EVEN AS A TEENAGER, TO
PROTECT HIMSELF AND HIS FRIENDS
IN 4@4@WOODLAND TERRACE.
>> MIGHT GO TO SCHOOL, GUYS
FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS
AND THE 4@SCHOOLS, MIGHT GOT A
PROBLEM, SOMETHING NIGHT GO ON.
YOU WON'T FIGHT AT SCHOOL BUT
AFTER SCHOOL IT MIGHT CHANGE.
>> Reporter: WITH GUN AT THE
READY, HE SPENT HOURS AT THIS 4@
BLOCK AFTER SCHOOL.
>> I AIN'T NEVER GET SHOT.
GOT SHOT AT.
PLENTY TIMESISM LUCKILY I NEVER
GOT HIT.
GOT HIT.
GOT HIT. >> Reporter: ARRESTED TWICE,
FIRST AT 15 YEARS OLD, CAUGHT
CARRYING A FIREARM.
THAT IS WHEN CHAUNCEY REALIZED
HE HAD TO DROP HIS WEAPON AND
AIM FOR BETTER.
HE HAD A SON TO RAISE AND MANY
OF HIS CLOSE FRIENDS WERE BEING
MURDERED.
MURDERED.
MURDERED. >> LOT OF LIVES BEING LOST.
OVER THE SMALLEST STUFF.4@
I GOT FRIENDS I AIN'T NEVER
GOING TO SEE AGAIN. 4@
>> Reporter: ONE SAID CHAUNCEY @
SAID CAME AT THE RIGHT TIME.
>> LOVE YOU.
>> LOVE YOU MO4@RE.
>> Reporter: DUANE CUNNINGHAM,
HE WENT TO PRISON AT 18 AND
SPENT 10 YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR @
SMOKING AND SELLING CRACK ON
THE SAME STREETS IN THE 80s.
DUANE IS ONE OF DC'S 26 VIOLENT
INTERRUPTERS WALKING THE
STREETS 4@IN SOME OF IT TOUGHES
NEIGHBORHOODS TRYING4@ TO
IDENTIFY AND STOP CONFLICT
BEFORE IT TURNS DEADLY.
LIKE WE SAW IN CLAY TEAR LAST
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. >>
YEAR. >> LOT OF TRAUMA THEY DON'T
TALK BOUT AND THEY SO USED TO
IT SO WHEN THEY MAD IT IS LIKE
RAGE.
RAGE.
RAGE. >>
RAGE. >> Reporter: 58 MURDERS IN THE
DISTRICT, SURPASSING THE MURDER
RATE THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WHICH
IS CONCERNING, 2018 WAS ONE OF @
THE DEADLIEST IN A DECADE.
>> LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE FROM MY
NEIGHBORHOOD.
NEIGHBORHOOD. ONE WAS MY BEST FRIEND.
>> Reporter: ROBERT BUTLER IS
ANOTHER VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER 4@
WITH THE DC OFFICE OF
NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND
ENGAGEMENT.
ENGAGEMENT. THE AGENCY4@ SEEKING OUT PEOPLE
MOSTLY WITH A CRIMINAL PAST WHO
THE AGENCY4@ SEEKING OUT PEOPLE MOSTLY WITH A CRIMINAL PAST WHO@
ARE NOW POSITIVE INFLUENCERS IN
THEIR COMMUNITY.
THEIR COMMUNITY. THE PAY? 4@
ABOUT $45,000 A YEAR.
>> A NEED TO CONTACT THEM.
>> Reporter: ROBERT ADMITS EVEN
>> A NEED TO CONTACT THEM. >> Reporter: ROBERT ADMITS EVEN@
WITH HIS HISTORY OF USING
DRUGS, HIS NEIGHBORHOOD
CONTACTS, AND STREET KNOWLEDGE,
THIS JOB IS STILL TOUGH. 4@
>> LIFE OR DEATH LITERALLY. 4@
HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, SOME
KILLED.
KILLED.
KILLED. >> HELP ME MAKE IT OUT OF HERE.
GET OUT OF HERE.
>> Reporter: THE TEAM TOOK PART
IN A WEEK-LONG TRAINING
CONDUCTED BY A MAN KNOWN AROUND
THE WORLD FOR HIS VIOLENCE
INTERVENTION PROGRAM.
INTERVENTION PROGRAM. >> TIRED OF THIS.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING
IS DANGEROUS.
IS DANGEROUS. HE IS HELPING THEM STRAT JZ SO
THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY GET
THROUGH TO PEOPLE OR GROUPS ON
THE VERGE OF COMMITTING A
CRIME. 4@
CRIME. 4@
CRIME. 4@ VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS SAY
POLICE AREN'T TRUSTED SO YOU
WON'T SEE THUM WORKING ALONG
OFFICERS IN MOST CASES, THEY
SAID THEY ARE OPERATING OFF 4@
OREFERRALS AND INFORMATION
PASSED BY PEOPLE WHO TRUST THEM
IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
>> EVERY DAY.
>> Reporter: VIOLENCE
INTERRUPTERS ARE EMBEDDED IN AT
LEAST 20 NEIGHBORHOODS EVERY
DAY AT EVER4@Y FUNCTION AND HOS
THEIR OWN EVENTS LIKE INDIA
BLOCKER FORD.
BLOCKER FORD. SPENDS WEEK NIGHTS WORKING WITH
YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS, WHETHER
MEDITATING TO PRACTICE
STILLNESS, OR MODELING TO BOOST
CONFIDENCE.
CONFIDENCE. >> THEY HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH
A LOT.
A LOT.
A LOT. >>
A LOT. >> Reporter: SHE SAID THE KIDS
NOTICE.
NOTICE.
NOTICE. A
NOTICE. A 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN THE GROUP
WAS SHOT MONTHS AGO, ONE OF THE
BOY'S BROTHER WAS KILLED AND
ANOTHER KID COMMITTED SUICIDE.
>> YOU HEAR, YOU JUST HEAR ALL
THE VIOLENCE GOING ON, ALL THE
COMMOTION.
COMMOTION. >> I AM THERE FOR THEM Y. CAN
BE THE 4@SHOULDER FOR THEM TO
LEAN ON AND CRY ON.
>> Reporter: TOUGH TO GAUGE HOW
MANY MURDERS THESE VIOLENCE
INTERRUPTERS PREVENTED IN THE
FIRST YEAR OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT
DATA SHOWS THEY CONNECTED
ROUGHLY 130 PEOPLE TO RESOURCES
AFTER TRAGEDY, IN SOME CASES TO
PREVENT RETALIATION.
PREVENT RETALIATION. THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
NEGOTIATEED FIVE CEASE FIRE S
BETWEEN FEUDING NEIGHBORHOOD
GROUPS.
GROUPS.
GROUPS. ONE OF THEIR TACTICS INCLUDE
BRINGING IN PEOPLE THEY HAVE 4@@
HELPED, LIKE CHAUNCEY, TO SHOW
A LIFE OF CRIME ISN'T THE ONLY
OPTION.
OPTION.
OPTION. >> EVERYBODY GET INTO A LITTLE
TROUBLE.
TROUBLE.
TROUBLE. A LITTLE TROUBLE. 4@
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE NOW THAT I
AM OLDER AND LOOK BACK ON IT,
CRAZY.
CRAZY.
CRAZY. THAT IS WILD. 4@4@
WHY WOULD WE DO THAT?
WHEN YOU IN THE HOOD, IT AIN'T
THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS, YOU DO
STUPID STUFF LIKE THAT.
>> Reporter: THERE ARE PLANS TO
ADD MORE VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS
THIS SUMMER.