Memphis nonprofit puts money behind drive to curb gun deaths

By THALIA BEATY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis has long suffered from disproportionately high homicide rates. And like many other cities, it endured a surge in homicides in 2020 on the heels of the pandemic. The violence seized the attention of Patrick Lawler, who runs the nonprofit Youth Villages. Lawler discovered a body of research suggesting that a surprisingly small number of people, generally acting in groups, are typically behind most gun violence. Building on that research, he established a community intervention program that aims to reduce gun violence in Memphis and has set an ambitious goal of raising $60 million to sustain it.