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Morticians speak out about youth crime, deaths
As leaders across metro Atlanta continue their calls for violence to end, we hear from those usually called last to respond to the scene: morticians and funeral home directors.
ATLANTA - Leaders across metro Atlanta continue their calls for violence to end.
New calls are coming from those who usually are called last to respond to the scene: morticians and funeral home directors.
Many say they are seeing more and more teens and children killed from violence.
FOX 5 reports there are nearly 150 incidents regarding those under 20 for those who have either been killed or injured.
"I would say just stop and think," Farris Watkins said.
It's a simple but powerful message from Watkins as we examine the number of those under 19 either killed or injured by violence.
"I will say that the violence here in Atlanta is really centered around emotions and feelings," Watkins said.
LIST OF GEORGIA JUVENILES, TEENS KILLED OR INJURED IN 2023 BY GUNS
Service is the name with Willie A. Watkins Funeral home. It's a family business that has the difficult task of dealing with grieving families.
Many of them this year from teens and young ones taken from violence.
"To sit with these mothers. People don't understand, and I feel if people would think about that. How would this effect someone else's mother? Let alone your own mother," Watkins said.
FOX 5 reports there have been nearly 150 violent incidents either killing or injuring those under 19.
There have been 56 fatal across metro-Atlanta.
Examples include a 17- year-old shot and killed in the west end area Saturday. Atlanta police say he was one of three dead after a simple argument escalated.
A 7-year-old boy was shot to death in a car outside a DeKalb County convenience store.
A newborn baby, Charles Watson Jr., killed while with his parents in a targeted shooting.
There have been 53 incidents resulting in injuries for those under the age of 19.
Another 39 in the same age range outside the metro area have been killed.
"Nobody is giving them love. How hard is it to say, 'Hey how are you?' You simply write them off based on how they are dressed," Watkins said.
Watkins is calling for community leaders to take the time to listen.
As she has to listen and support families of loved ones gone entirely too soon.
"It's not just you killed one person. You have now effecting a family and multiple generations based on one trigger that was pulled," Watkins said.