Chattanooga Unites Against Violence

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Community leaders and residents came together Wednesday for the “One Community, One Mission” Violence Summit at Brainerd Crossroads.

Hosted by Mayor Kelly’s office, the event brought together organizations dedicated to reducing gun violence, including 423 Chainbreakers, a group of mentors and violence interrupters using firsthand experience to mediate conflicts and prevent shootings.

423 Chainbreakers Program Manager Ruben Muriente said preventing violence starts with communication and awareness.

• “A good summer to a bad summer is a cycle of one shooting that leads to the second to the third to the fourth right so we wanna be able to help prevent those instances from happening by making sure that our guys are getting the most recent Intel available so that we can stop things from developing beyond what already happened.”

Representative Shaqeetha Jennings said the team’s approach is rooted in shared experience and community support.

• “Being that we all have gone through something I myself have gone through violence just having the support and having somebody right there with you means everything so violence interrupting it’s just taking initiative and coming together as a community as a whole as a village as a family.”

Violence Interrupter Nate Carter said the group hopes to steer young people away from the same paths they once walked.

• “Cus we know what’s at the end of this you can name any gangster movie you’ve seen in your life how the story end dead or in jail ain’t no retirement plan ain’t no vacation home none of that stuff so that’s what we try and do lead by example because of what we came from.”

Victims Service Advocate Travis Smith II explained that their mission centers on those most at risk of becoming victims or offenders.

• “Our main job and our main goal for us each and every one of us being here is to work with the highest risk that’s not to say we won’t turn down anyone that’s not high risk or anything like that but our main goal and our main focus is to get those at the highest risk and mitigate their risk and take them from a tier 3 all the way down to what we believe is a tier 1.”

The summit also focused on recovery, mentorship, and partnerships between nonprofits and city departments to curb violence in Chattanooga’s hardest-hit areas.

City officials said the goal was to strengthen relationships and build a more united, safer community.