GREENSBORO, N.C. — As of last week, there have been 43 homicides by guns in Greensboro this year, and 986 aggravated assault crimes with a firearm.
Ingram Bell knows the impact gun violence can have, all too well after having multiple brain surgeries, one of which happened while she was pregnant. Now, she's the Program Manager for 'Cure Violence', a group focused on ending violence by treating it like a health issue - and using behavior-changing methods. Cure Violence also encourages people to turn in illegal guns and holds homicide support groups twice a month.
According to the FBI, violent crime in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point has gone up over the last decade. The FBI also said back in 2019, 383 people died in our state from a firearm murder. The City of Greensboro hopes Gun Stoppers can help slow that. “Gun Stoppers is to try to get illegal guns off the streets. That is what seems to be used in most of the aggravated assaults,” Greensboro councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter said.
Winston-Salem is also holding a gun buy-back event this weekend to help get illegal guns off the streets. "It prevents guns from getting into the wrong hands because in burglaries people are targeting guns and if those guns end up in the wrong hands that’s when bad things happen," Winston-Salem Police Department Spokeswoman, Kira Boyd said.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughn told WFMY that she supports a gun buyback event in the area, similar to the one Winston-Salem is having this weekend. She said community members have approached the city asking to see an event like that take place.