Churches in Rock Hill gather to hold discussion aimed at combatting youth violence

ROCK HILL, S.C. — It’s been almost three years since a young woman named Alexis Massey was shot and killed in Rock Hill while visiting to celebrate Mother’s Day.

On Saturday, several churches came together to raise awareness of youth crime cases like Massey’s in the hopes of combatting the violence that plagues the Rock Hill community.

Back in 2021, Massey, a teenager, was hit and killed by a stray bullet off Hagins Street.

A discussion panel was held and all of the participants were parents who have lost a son to gun violence.

Direatha Foster and Michael Truesdale shared their experience with the audience about how tough it is to get over the loss of a child.

“His brother was laying on the ground, just saying mommie fix it, fix it, I couldn’t fix it,” Foster said.

The event was organized by Pastor C.T. Kirk, who hopes it will discourage kids in the community from heading the wrong path.

“So a meeting like this is to get our kids to understand there are positive things you can do in your community,” Kirk said.

He said that he’s hopeful Saturday’s event will be part of a larger conversation about youth violence and what can be done to reverse the trend in the community.

“When you kill someone it not only affects that family but you too because you can go to jail so your family is affected as well,” Kirk said.

(WATCH BELOW: Local organizations gather to host ‘Youth Resource Fair’ for Mecklenburg Co. students)

Local organizations gather to host ‘Youth Resource Fair’ for Mecklenburg Co. students

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