Young Detroiters Campaign For 'Hugs Not Bullets' This New Year's Eve

DETROIT (WWJ) - Shooting off guns in celebration isn't safe. That's the message from some young Detroiters who rallied along with Police Chief James Craig Monday in front of the Spirit of Detroit.

The Neighborhood Service Organization's Youth Initiatives Project kicked off their 11th annual "Hugs Not Bullets" campaign to remind Detroiters why it's important not to celebrate the new year by shooting a gun into the air.

The project's Katara Hamilton, said she and her peers remember having to hit the floor at the stroke of midnight to avoid stray bullets from their neighborhoods.

"We have strong memories of seeking safety by hiding under our beds or getting on the floor during the first few minutes on the new year," Hamilton said.

She said even the sound of gun fire impacts youth who have lost loved ones to shootings.

"Gun violence continues to disproportionately affect males of color in our city. Some of our peers are traumatized by the deaths of friends and loved ones," Hamilton said. "This condition is a clear reminder of the impact of one bullet on a family."

City Councilman James Tate said it's easy to be frustrated about the need for the campaign every year, but it also demonstrate's the group's perseverance.

"These young folks could've easily said, 'Enough is enough! We're going home; nobody's listening.' But they continue to more forward," said Tate. "Many times it takes potentially a generation or so to get things going, to change; but these young people are the generation that's gonna make that change."

The "Hugs Not Bullets" also makes gun locks available to residents and gun safety information to help avoid tragedies that happen year-round.  It's part of the Youth Initiatives Project's ongoing effort to reduce gun violence in the city.