By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A mass shooting in downtown Tucson more than a week ago has raised concerns among community members about an increase in violent incidents involving teens and young adults.
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According to the Tucson Police Department’s Violence Prevention Unit, more than 45% of the shootings in Tucson last year were committed by people under the age of 25.
TPD Chief Monica Prieto said that trend is expected to continue.
“And this year, we already know that there’s an increase in juvenile violence,” Prieto said.
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Prieto noted that overall violent crime in the city is down. “Our shootings, again, down 19% year to date. Our homicides down 29%,” she said.
The suspect from the mass shooting is 21-year-old David Leroy French, who is within the age range that city-funded programs are designed to target.
It came months after a separate shooting at Park Place Mall in March that also involved teens.
Tucson has been implementing violence prevention and intervention programs, including through its Violence Interruption Vitalization and Action Initiative.
“We have four different VIVA zones in Tucson that have experienced higher levels of gun violence, and we invest in community, we invest in the infrastructure by providing crime prevention through environmental design,” said Oscar Medina, manager of Tucson’s Office of Violence Prevention and Intervention.
The city has also partnered with organizations including Boys to Men Tucson, which works with boys and men under the age of 25.
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“What I’m hoping that we can do is to bring more awareness to the prevention measures before it gets to this place. There’s something that goes before that. There are always signs,” said Jah Hopkins of Boys to Men Tucson.
Medina said the city does not believe it needs to change its approach, but rather expand its work and allow more time for results to emerge.
“It takes anywhere between 18 to 24 months for an individual that’s willing to pick up a gun to change their behavior through intensive therapy, intensive counseling,” Medina said.
Mayor Regina Romero called for additional funding to support those efforts.
“We need investments from the state and the federal government. And unfortunately, we have seen violence prevention and intervention funding being completely decimated and cut by the federal government,” Romero said.
Romero said the city plans to roll out additional violence prevention and intervention programs through its Safe City Initiative and intends to expand the city’s Office of Violence Prevention and Intervention.
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