September 9, 2021

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• See Opinion/Forum pages on A4 & A5 •

Volume 48, Number 1

75 cents

• See Sports on page B1•

W I N S TO N - S A L E M , N . C .

THURSDAY, September 9, 2021

Rally in wake of Mt. Tabor school shooting calls for end to senseless gun violence BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

In the wake of the shooting at Mount Tabor High School that took the life of student William Chavis Raymond Miller Jr. last weekend, nearly 200 people gathered in downtown Winston-Salem to call for an end to senseless gun violence. Here’s what we know about the shooting: At 12:07 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 1, members of the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Mount Tabor on reports of shots fired inside the school. The school was placed on lockdown and Miller was located, suffering from a gunshot wound. Miller was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where he died after being treated for his injuries. During the rally dubbed “Guns Down, Lives Up” held in Winston Square Park, more than 150 people, including elected officials, community leaders, and students

Photos by Tevin Stinson

Local community activist David Villada embraces a student who attends Mount Tabor High School during the “Guns Down, Lives Up” rally held in Winston Square Park last week. ers also called for more about combating gun vio- and what it took to turn me came from students like opportunity. Sometimes mental health programs for lence, the word that comes around was someone took Mary Bolton, a junior at you might not be a perstudents, after school pro- to mind is accountability. the time out to bring love Mount Tabor, who was son who can physically be grams, and conflict resolu- “Everybody plays a role back into my heart,” Gist in her U.S. History class there, but sometimes you tion initiatives. in being accountable; if continued. “It took love when the tragic event oc- can donate. Maybe you’re Longtime community you see something, you to raise me and I’m here curred. She said even a person who can attend activist and president of the say something,” said Gra- to let you know today we while experiencing such the county commissioners Winston-Salem NAACP, ham as she addressed the will bring love back into tragedy and uncertainty, and city council meetings, Al Jabbar, said there’s a crowd. our communities.” the Mount Tabor commu- and help institute change Winston-Salem/For- nity, students, teachers and and help organizations win syth County Schools staff rallied together. funding to help with these Board Chair, Malishai “The Mount Ta- after-school programs,” Woodbury, encouraged bor community pushed Shavers said . “I want you students to go to an adult through it,” Bolton said. to know the opportunity to if they have any informa- “Even the worst of high help is wide. But without tion about violence being school enemies came to- funding and support, a lot carried out in schools or in gether.” of these organizations will the community. Quameka Shavers, lo- not be able to continue the “If you don’t come cal activist and former work that they’re doing

Malishai Woodbury, education chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education, addresses the crowd during the rally held in downtown Winston-Salem last weekend. need to learn to resolve differences in other ways instead of violence. “We should learn how to resolve our issues with conversations and there’s some areas in our community and our city that we must begin to show love,” Jabaar said. “When a person feels it necessary to resolve a conflict by picking up a weapon and taking another’s life, there’s a lack of love.” Shantae Graham, a partner with Enough is Enough, a local youth empowerment organization, said when she thinks

Frankie Gist, founder of HOPE Dealers Outreach, told those in attendance that when he was 16 years old, he faced some of the same issues our young men are facing today: gang influences, guns, and losing friends through senseless violence. What turned things around for him was having someone in his corner who showed they cared and that’s what the community needs now. “You’re looking at someone at 16 years old facing 30 years in prison. I robbed, I picked up a gun, I’ve been shot at …

Frankie Gist, local activist and founder of HOPE Dealers Outreach delivers a powerful speech during the “Guns Down, Lives Up” Rally last weekend. and tell me, your teacher, me, your administrator, what’s going on, we can’t intervene. You may have to lose a friend because you told on somebody, but you’re saving a life,” Woodbury said. Some of the most moving words during the rally

president of the Young Democrats of Forsyth County, said to make a real difference, the fight against gun violence has to be ongoing and is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. “I want you to know activism is a multifaceted

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because they need that extra hand.” A GoFundMe page has been established to help support Miller’s family. For more information or to donate, visit https://www. gofundme.com/f/williamchavis-raynard-miller-jrmemorial-fund. 6 89076 32439 7

who attend schools across the district, asked that the entire community rally behind the push to stop the violence and put the guns down. Many of the speak-


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