‘We can win our girls back’: Officials react to ‘surge of girl-on-girl gang violence’ in Wilmington.
As the City of Wilmington, Delaware experiences, what community leaders called, a “recent surge of girl-on-girl gang violence,” they have gathered to call for solutions to address the “escalating issue.”
On Thursday, city officials and community leaders gathered for an event to discuss how they are hoping to address the problem.
“We are standing together to address a pressing and heartbreaking issue within our community—girl gang violence,” said Councilwoman Zanthia Oliver, in a statement ahead of the day’s event. “This is not just a law enforcement challenge; it is a community challenge. Every young woman in our district deserves to feel safe, supported, and valued. We must invest in their futures, provide them with positive alternatives, and unite as a community to break the cycle of violence. Let us be the change-makers, the advocates, and the protectors of our youth. Together, we can build a safer, stronger, and more hopeful future for all.”
Pastor Derrick Johnson from Joshua Harvest Church told members of the press that the day’s event follows a number of attacks from over the past two weeks where young girls in the community have been targeted by gangs of consisting of girls in area parks.
“Our young girls are getting in gangs. How do we respond society? How do we respond as people?” asked Johnson.
He said that, after community leaders saw similar issues in the past when boys would get involved in gang violence, they wanted to issue a call for action on girl-on-girl gang violence before issues escalated.
“We must all come together at this moment to address the root causes of violence among our young ladies, and work toward effective solutions that will help us save our young girls from this girl-on-girl gang culture in our city,” said Johnson. “The recent incidents of violence among our young ladies are deeply troubling, and they all deserve a safe environment to grow and thrive. This seems to be a growing epidemic throughout the nation.”