© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Gun violence prevention advocates want more victim support for Connecticut's communities of color

Gun violence prevention advocates in Connecticut want a state advisory panel to recommend more state help for gun violence victims of color. They cited a recent survey that found that two thirds of victims of color in the state do not get state help.

Hartford resident Aswad Thomas said he had a promising professional basketball career ahead of him in 2009 when he was shot twice in front of a convenience store near his home.

“Those bullets had ended my basketball career and nearly my life,” Thomas said.

Thomas said he needed help dealing with the trauma but none was readily available.

“No one told me about the flashbacks and nightmares and PTSD as being a victim of gun violence,” he said.

Thomas is now with a group called Crime Survivors for Safety. They provide assistance to gun violence victims in urban communities. He urged members of the state’s Gun Violence Prevention and Advisory Committee to recommend that the state use some of the money expected from President Biden’s Build Back Better plan to fund groups like his, because they cater to communities of color who are hardest hit by gun violence.

The state advisory panel holds its final public hearing on Wednesday. It will then prepare its recommendations to lawmakers and Governor Ned Lamont which are due at the end of the year.

Copyright 2021 WSHU. To see more, visit WSHU.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year. In addition to providing long-form reports and features for WSHU, he regularly contributes spot news to NPR, and has worked at the NPR National News Desk as part of NPR’s diversity initiative.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content