For the City...

The city of Fort Wayne has really been going through it this summer. It’s easy to label violence among teens as senseless, but when you sit long enough with the stories, and really peel back the layers, it’s rarely just about violence for the sake of being violent.

Some teens carry guns because they’re scared, because they’ve been jumped, shot at, or watched someone die. They’re simply trying to make it home alive, so they feel a need to carry. Others carry to belong. To not get left out, laughed at, or looked at as weak. In some circles, a gun is proof that you’re loyal…hard. That you’re somebody, and not to be played with. Gun violence reflects the grief, trauma, and hopelessness that’s been passed down like inheritance, generation to generation. Devastatingly, for way too many teens, a gun is easier to reach than a therapist or a safe adult.

There’s also curiosity, and access. Developmentally, teens are wired to seek identity and belonging. That identity is often shaped by what they see around them. So, in order to avoid isolation or rejection, some do what they see others doing, and a weapon left unlocked becomes a fatal dare.

In addition to asking why teens are using guns, we’ve got to ask, why are they so afraid? Why do they feel unseen? Why don’t they trust the systems meant to protect them? Why is a gun more accessible than mental health care, mentorship, or meaning? I’m not excusing harm. I just want us to have a collective understanding of what’s really going on, because I believe that’s where healing starts.

In times like this, we’re all seeking answers to our city’s problems. We’re asking, “What can we do? What can I do?” Individually, we can speak life into teens. Look them in the eye. Learn their names. Ask how they’re doing (like really doing) for real. Even when they act like they don’t want to be seen, they do. If you own a gun, store it safely and securely by locking them up. Period. Especially if children/teens are in your home or circle. Model healthy conflict resolution by showing young people what it looks like to have hard conversations without violence, threats, or shutting down. Support young people’s gifts by investing in their music, their art, their sports, their weird niche interests. Help them build an identity rooted in life, not survival.

As families, we can create safe spaces to talk. Not every teen opens up easily, but consistency creates safety. Keep showing up, even when they shut you out. Check in with them on their mental health. Normalize therapy. Pray and talk. Listen without rushing to fix. If you don’t know what to say, say that, and still be present. Be honest about your own wounds, because healing is generational. The more we deal with our own stuff, the less we pass it down.

At the community level, we can mentor or show up. Every teen doesn’t need a program. Some just need people. Show up at the rec center, the school, church, or neighborhood event. Support re-entry and prevention programs. Donate, volunteer, or amplify the folks already doing the work. There’s a lane for all of us. Challenge narratives. Don’t reduce our kids to criminals or “thugs.” Hold them accountable, but also hold space for their full humanity.

It’s going to take a village to turn this around. Not just policies or politics, but people. Everyday people choosing to listen more deeply, love more boldly, and stand in the gap more consistently. We all have a role, and that doesn’t require us to wait for a title to claim it.