RICHFIELD, Minn. — On Friday morning, students at South Education Center went back to school for the first time since the shooting that took the life of one of their classmates.
It’s a difficult day for many who are still processing what happened.
"The threat has become an actual reality now,” youth mentor and counselor Lucius Luther explained.
Luther has been working with youth for more than four decades.
He says teens understand all too well the dangers the streets can bring, but seeing it up close, and losing a classmate in the process, can be devastating.
"I anticipate some of those youths are going to have nightmares. They are going to have some anxiety that is off the charts right now and if they don't find somebody to help them process that, and help them deal with that, that's going to lead to more problems,” Luther said.
Luther works at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. There, he met the victim of this shooting, Jahmari Rice, who was referred to Phyllis Wheatley from the Community Center’s Youth Trauma and Diversion Program.
"Jahmari had been referred to our organization because of his involvement with juvenile court,” Luther explained. "He was a very likeable young man. He had a beautiful smile and he had a quick wit about him."
A cheerful young man who left an impression on Luther, which is why he was shocked to find out Jahmari was shot and killed outside of his school.
"I was very sad, mostly because he is the second youth in my career who has died as a result of gun violence,” Luther said. "We've had too many examples of situations that have just gone bad in our society for young black men in particular."
Instead of running away from the problem, he says now more than ever the community, parents and local leaders need to step in and support our youth and to show them a less violent way.
"We as a community need to take the risk and reach out and just say 'Hey, I understand you're hurting, and I know you probably don't have the words for it right now, but I'm here and I'm willing to listen,'” Rice said.
Luther says his group and many others are there for anyone who needs their help, but he says literally anyone can make a difference in a teen's life, they just have to be patient and willing to listen.