PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Data from GunViolenceArchive.orgshows that 2022 ended with more than 160 cases of gun violence-related homicides across Hampton Roads. A non-profit that provides positive outlets and support for young citizens said they have a couple new year's resolutions to curb the violence.
Depending on where you live in Hampton roads, you might have seen gun violence in your own backyard. Rickey Hoggard said it's been non-stop.
"Just the other day, right up the street a young man was killed. That's one block away from here," said Hoggard.
According to the website, each of the seven cities saw multiple homicides related to gun violence in all of 2022. These numbers do not include mass shootings. Hoggard said he's been on both sides of a loaded gun. After turning his life around, he wanted to help youth in his community and across Hampton Roads.
More than seven years ago, Hoggard said he helped create Stop the Violence 757, which provides afterschool programs, healthy outlets and support for young kids.
"These kids need mental health and they need advocates and counseling," he said. "Some of them might need someone to help guide them through certain situations that they're stuck in. A lot of these kids also need grief counseling because they see everything on social media and hear certain things on the basketball courts."
This year, Hoggard said his non-profit is making a move into the Norfolk area, which means they'll be kicking off 2023 with a program in each of the cities.
"We are working on starting a program in Calvert Square Recreation Center in Norfolk," he said.
Hoggard said there's a great quality of life in Hampton Roads, and his nonprofit's New Year's resolution for 2023 is to try and make it even better.
"It's not the entire city that's bad, it's only certain places," he said. "Maybe those people aren't from there. People go to those places and do certain things, it's not the whole city so we need to control certain spots."
Stop the Violence 757 will be holding a prayer vigil for gun violence victims on Thursday night at Portsmouth City Park. It goes from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
