By Frances Weller | January 4, 2021 at 10:48 PM EST – Updated January 5 at 7:25 AM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – It’s a short film with a short message: Stop the Killing. It’s a drama that depicts the reality of deadly gun violence. You see the trauma in an emergency room. You see a parent’s heartache learning their child has been shot. And you see human lives lost over nonsense.
Local filmmakers Nakia T. Hamilton and Jay James are the directors. The Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover Regional Medical Center released the film on Dec. 30 as the city of Wilmington reached 22 homicides, 18 of which were the result of gun violence within the past 12 months.
“Gun violence affects everyone in our community and reducing it is a community effort,” said Chief Donny Williams. “Law enforcement cannot do it alone, though we will continue doing our part by arresting the individuals who commit these crimes. Prevention is a key piece of stopping these killings and in order to achieve that we need parents and community leaders to help us reach our youth before it’s too late.”
The film was adapted from a 2016 play titled, “The Truth About Guns & Youth,” which was the result of a partnership between the WPD, New Hanover County Schools, CFCC, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and the OOPS Foundation.
The police department and NHRMC hope parents, churches, and community organizations will use the film as a way to talk to children about the consequences of gun violence.
News Release – Stop the Killing Thursday, December 31 – 4 p.m. The Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover…
Posted by Wilmington, NC Police Department on Thursday, December 31, 2020
To watch the film, click here.
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