Local leaders in Thomasville are using free school supplies and personal stories to spark real conversations about gun safety and emotional control.
The event is Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at World Wide Ministries, where leaders will speak on gun safety and youth violence prevention. Councilman Terry Scott launched the Think Before You React program in 2018 after multiple shootings in his own neighborhood, including five homicides. Sheriff Tim Watkins will give away 100 backpacks filled with school supplies and host a second giveaway the following weekend at Food Lion.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After too many shootings close to home, one councilman says the community needs more than just prayers.
Now, he and the sheriff are turning outreach into education starting with the next generation.
“In this neighborhood where I stay at right now, I’ve had several shootings in this community. And five of them were homicides. And I thought of this. And one night the Lord talked to me and said, I need you to start a program called Think Before You React,” said Councilman Terry Scott.
Councilman Scott tells me most of the violence he’s seen involves young people sometimes as young as 14.
He believes many of those situations could’ve been prevented with just a moment to pause and think.
“A lot of folks don’t intend to do things to you, accidentally do something to you. And you might be in a bad mood. And therefore your anger goes up. Your anxiety goes up. And you begin to do things that you’re going to regret later on. Especially with our young men,” said Scott.
This Saturday, Scott is hosting a gun safety event from 10 to 12 at World Wide Ministries, his church on Lester Street.
It’s part of his Think Before You React program, launched in 2018.
Sheriff Tim Watkins will also be there, handing out 100 free backpacks filled with school supplies hoping that giveaway brings in more families to hear the message.
“The book bags are going to attract younger folks. And they’ll be able to hear him speak on gun safety and gun violence. Because him being a detective at one time, there was a lot of stuff like that. He dealt with homicides. He dealt with gunshot victims. He dealt with the family tragedy,” said Scott.
Sheriff Tim Watkins tells me giving back is part of his mission not just as sheriff but as a neighbor.
“Last year when I was running for sheriff, I did a book bag giveaway before back to school in front of the Food Lion out on East Jackson Street. So I didn’t want the community to think that I was just going to do a one-time event because I was running for sheriff. So this year I’m actually going to do it twice,” said Watkins.
Sheriff Watkins tells me if you can’t make it this Saturday, he’ll be hosting another book bag giveaway the following weekend in front of the Food Lion.
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