DENVER — Seven juveniles have been shot and killed in Denver so far this year. The Denver Police Department (DPD) said the local teen gun violence death toll is "on par" with last year's numbers.
If Denver's numbers were to stay on par, at least one more teenager will be shot and killed in the city before the end of the year. There are parents, families and local advocates who are calling it a crisis.
"This is a health crisis for the community," said Jason McBride, the education specialist for GRASP. "These kids are behaving in such a way because of factors they’re not necessarily responsible for."
GRASP stands for Gang Rescue and Support Project. It's an intervention program for at-risk youth primarily run by ex-gang members who broke free of the gang lifestyle and turned their lives around. For the staff, this work is personal. They understand how difficult it is to make that transition.
"I took a lot of bricks out of this community from my days in gang banging so I feel like I want to put some back," said McBride, who's been working for GRASP for three years.
"When we first started out in gangs in the late 80s, the people who were dying were 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 years old," McBride said. "And look where we’re at now – 13, 14, 15. If we don’t stop it they’ll be 10, 11, 12 years old. I don’t think anyone wants to watch the news and see a 10-year-old dead from youth violence."
The juveniles killed in Denver this year haven't been 10 years old, according to victim information that's been released by DPD and the Denver City Coroner, but many of them have been young.
On Sept. 18, 14-year-old Treaujalaune Lornes was shot and killed by another 14-year-old in Green Valley West Park.
"We got the victim, and then we got the perpetrator," said McBride. "And for the majority of these cases, especially this summer, they’re both very, very young."
DPD has seen an uptick in teen violence in the last few weeks. In response, Chief Paul Pazen said the department is increasing and changing their patrols to focus on the problem.
Autumn Lawrence doesn't believe law enforcement is the answer alone. She's the mother of 14-year-old Aiden Lawrence, who was shot and killed in the Northfield Stapleton neighborhood on Aug. 9.
"We look at these kids just as if they’re thugs and they’re problematic," she said, shaking her head. "It’s a much deeper-rooted issue going on with these kids. We don’t have enough options for these youth to turn to. The community needs to come together."
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, what would have been her son's 15th birthday, Lawrence is hosting a birthday party. She wants to honor her late son, and she also wants to bring awareness to the teen gun violence that took her child too soon.
"Start getting involved because you never know when it’s going to hit your home," Lawrence said.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS