On August 5, a Community Gun Violence Response Meeting was held at Garden Hills Elementary School from 4 to 5:30p.m. The meeting was hosted by the Equity and Engagement Department in collaboration with the CU Trauma and Resilience Initiative.
The meeting was attended by City Council members Vanna Pianfetti, Will Kyles, Kathy Shannon, and Jamar Brown, along with City Manager Dorothy Ann David, Deputy City Manager Joan Walls, and Deputy Chief Geoff Coon from the Champaign Police Department. City leaders joined community members in discussing their thoughts on the incident of violence that claimed the lives of two 18-year-olds the previous week. As part of the meeting, residents split into small groups to discuss their concerns and collaborate on potential solutions to reduce gun violence in the community. Residents were able to enjoy pizza and other refreshments provided by the Unit 4 School District as they shared their ideas.