Hunt’s consulting holds press conference in wake of recent gun violence

South Bend, Ind. -- In the wake of a triple homicide on Bissell Street and a shooting on Eddy Street, a local violence prevention group hosted a press conference Friday to discuss what steps can be done to eradicate gun violence.

Isaac Hunt, the President of Hunt’s Consulting, an organization that provides violence prevention consulting says it’s vital to provide resources to the youth.

“It’s not just about locking people up,” Hunt says.

“It’s also about providing services [such as] mental health counseling, jobs, education, and trades. The services are here. All they have to do is come and ask for them.”

Hunt says he provided 17 internships to the youth in efforts for them to gain skills, and he says these programs are what keeps youth with guns off the streets.

But Hunt argues it’s also important to keep the parents accountable.

“There’s no reason for a 15-year-old to be out after 12 at night, and then a lot of times the parents don’t even know where the kids [are],” Hunt says.

"In Chicago, I made some phone calls since I’m on a national outreach call every Monday. I call Chicago [and] they’re fining parents if their kids are causing harm. $75 the first time if they’re out after curfew [and] $50 the next time. The third time they have to go to court.”

Hunt says he’s aiming to implement a similar system here in South Bend, but right now, his next step is calling a meeting with all of the violence prevention groups.