Louisville nonprofits team up to address child trauma from gun violence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A partnership between Christopher 2X Game Changers and Kosair Charities is working toward providing children opportunities for healthy growth.

In the first eight months of 2021, Louisville Metro Police has reported 19 children have died from gun violence while an additional 76 children have been wounded by gunfire.

More children have been killed in Louisville this year than all of 2020.

According to Christopher 2X, a community activist who leads Game Changers, since the start of 2020, 35 children have been killed and 156 have been wounded from gun violence.

"We are dealing with a public health crisis as it relates to kids," 2X, who runs the nonprofit Christopher 2X Game Changers, said. "We talked to individuals who talk about how a bullet never hits them, but they're impacted by the trauma that surrounds them. We raised a concern with this report about the secondary trauma issue."

After Kosair Charities joined Christopher 2X Game Changers in the 'Masks for Kids' initiative in February, Kosair Charities Keith Inman wanted to continue working with Game Changers to address the impacts of gun violence on children.

"Kosair Charities is going to host conversations with some of the Gamechangers team and some of the team from Kosair to see how we move forward to try and look at ways to deal with kids who we're describing as the secondary trauma impact kids," 2X said.

Inman says if the uptick in violence in going to be stopped, it will take breaking the cycle of violence by showing children there's hope outside of trauma.

"A child that is scared is going to have a hard time learning," Inman said. "If a child can't learn, there is no hope. We have to be about giving hope."

The partnership aims to provide therapeutic opportunities for children in hopes of reaching youth before they've picked up a weapon, according to 2X.

Whether it's anger or grief, the nonprofits want to provide a space children can speak about gun violence trauma.

"It's a hard issue that we have to shed the light on," Inman said.

"Kids can't verbalize what they're going through," 2X said.

2X says no neighborhood in Louisville has been immune to gun violence as all eight LMPD divisions have had an uptick in gun violence this year.

Kosair Charities and Game Changers will hold "Future Healers Day" at the Louisville Zoo on Sept. 25.