Cashwell: Youth gun violence in Henrico leaves 'many layers of trauma and pain'

Just hours after police detained two Henrico middle school students on gun possession charges, County Manager John Vithoulkas began a town hall to address the increase of youth violence in schools.

Vithoulkas started the meeting at Henrico High School by remembering Henrico County Public Schools students who have died during the past two years from gun violence: Lucia Bremer, Diamond Brown-Mosby, Jaheim Dickerson, Thomas James Hendricks, Latifah Hudnall and Vinshaun Johnson.

“I wish we could have celebrated the accomplishments of these young people instead of having a moment of silence to remember their short lives,” Vithoulkas said. “We are obligated to use their legacies to prevent future tragedies in our community.”

The town hall was led by county executives including Vithoulkas, some of whom are on a task force designed to address issues of youth violence in Henrico.

Henrico Police Chief Eric English, who co-chairs the task force, said that guns are easily accessible to youngsters. More than 300 guns were stolen from vehicles in Henrico last year, he said. There’s a proliferation of guns across the county – not contained to one part.

“There are certain areas that we're seeing more of a propensity for gun violence, and we're concentrating on those areas to make sure that we try to curtail some of that. But there is going to be. . .  easy access to firearms, wherever they may be coming from,” English said. ”A lot of times they're getting in the hands of our youth. We just got to make sure we've been very vigilant as parents, as community members.”

Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell fielded a question about school safety – one she gets asked often. Why are there no metal detectors in schools?

“There is no solution that’s off the table,” Cashwell said. “To say that we’re not looking at them wouldn’t be fair. We’re looking at every angle.”

Cashwell described the “balancing act” of welcoming students and families into schools and also making sure they’re safe at the same time.

“The trauma in our community, the pain in our community, is palpable,” Cashwell said. “It's not lost on us as leaders as we really grapple with a way forward. Many layers of trauma and pain here.”

A second town hall event this week will be virtual and held June 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., via Microsoft Teams at www.tinyurl.com/bridgebuildersacademy.