Activist calls for rec centers to be revived after teen shot to death in Abbeville
ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) -- Some Abbeville residents say they are seeing an increase in gun violence.
Many contribute it to a number of factors. As for Mark Campbell, a community activist, he feels unsolved murders in the community give offenders an open door to commit crimes.
"If you don't make a bust, you're not solving the murders that young kid will think they can get away with it, so your results is murder again," said Campbell.
He mainly feels the increase of violence is due to a lack of recreation centers in the city. He says most rec centers in Abbeville are abandoned.
"Our parks and recreations are not up to par like it's supposed to be," he said. "We have facilities but they're not being ran."
He say's without organized activities, trouble is easy to find.
His choice of words: "An idle mind is the devils workshop"
"See if we had something here, maybe we could combat some of this shooting out here for these kids to do, simple as that," he said.
He says, it takes a village and residents are responsible for generating resources back into the community.
"I will fight until I die to get these resources back into Abbeville so we can have something for our kids to do. It's simple man if you have something for these kids to do. The murder rate will go down."