Gun violence conference set for Wednesday in Miner

SIKESTON — With the uptick in gun violence throughout the southeastern part of Missouri, the time has come for a call to action.

The public is invited to the inaugural Save Our Communities, or SOC, Gun Violence Conference from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Miner Convention Center in Miner, Missouri. Registration will commence at 9 a.m. and lunch will be provided.

The SOC committee has been in operation for three years, and the conference is made possible as the result of the Missouri Foundation for Health grant.

Lester Gillespie, CEO and director of Fresh Start Self Improvement Center in Charleston, Missouri, sat down to discuss the conference, the issue at hand and what the future holds for combating gun violence in southeast Missouri.

“With all of the gun violence and deaths in our local communities, we have a committee,” Gillespie said. “There has been an uptick in people getting shot. One of the things we wanted to do is to address the problem by bringing in (Sikeston Department of Public Safety) Chief [James] McMillen with his efforts with community and working with people to try and curtail or eradicate gun violence within the Sikeston area.”

Collectively as a state, Missouri, according to a June 2024 U.S. News & World Report, is currently fourth in the nation in gun violence. The state’s death rate is 24.2 per 100,000 and there were 1,489 deaths in 2022.

The Charleston committee operates with “activities,” Gillespie said. And Sikeston may be next.

“We have a committee of individuals who came together to address gun violence along with some activities,” Gillespie said. “For instance, we have a family fun night once-a-month in Charleston. We bring in people from the community and discuss different types of gun violence incidents. Whether an individual is injured by gun violence or death, we speak on many issues, making sure that families who are registered and own a gun … making sure those guns are kept in safe places.”

Trauma and conflict resolution also are discussed, as the aftermath can lead to deeper-rooted issues.

While education and community public relations are two variables that can enable change, the action still has to be carried out to lower violent incidents.

So, how can change override the growing epidemic?

“As far as tempering down [gun violence], we want to make people aware of the violence that is taking place in our region, and we want to make sure they [citizens] are informed,” said Gillespie. “And we want the opportunity to be a part of the solutions, [such as] getting involved in your community and attending meetings, as we will be coming up with a strategic plan to combat gun violence.”

Those plans are currently under construction.

A number of local agencies, law enforcement members, community leaders and lawmakers are scheduled to participate at the Wednesday, Nov. 6 conference, with an approach that includes awareness, community support, advocacy, faith and effective partnerships.

Event speakers will include McMillen, Dr. Saint Rice, Marsha Keene of Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center, Bishop Courtney Sanders and Cora Sanders, Dr. Valerie Blackmon, and more, according to a news release.

The Save Our Communities Steering Committee has been leading regional efforts for

several years now, gathering feedback through surveys and town hall meetings in the

Caruthersville, Hayti, Sikeston and Charleston communities.

Recent activities include family fun nights and guest speakers with anti-gun violence messages.

The conference is sponsored by Fresh Start Self Improvement Center, the Missouri

Foundation for Health, Community Health Commission of Missouri, and Faith Temple in

Haiti.