SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash — A teenager's death after a shooting on Saturday is concerning a local gang prevention group, which says the pandemic could be impacting how many kids turn to gangs for support.
A teenager was shot and killed at a party in Spokane Valley. Police have not identified the victim or party-goers as gang members, but they said the preliminary investigation leads them to believe the shooting may have gang ties.
The Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff's Office said, although they can't give exact numbers, that gang crime has increased in activity, shootings and homicides.
A local gang prevention group believes the pandemic could impact rates of gang violence.
"Many of the things that we are looking for is basic unattachment to the real structures that are around them," Fulcrum Institute Executive Director Jack Hebner said regarding what types of kids typically join gangs. "Also, the real desire to belong to something, so they look where it is that they can fit in."
The Fulcrum Institute Dispute Resolution Clinic is a mediation firm that specializes in gang prevention. Hebner said he and numerous police jurisdictions across the county believe the uptick in gang violence is related to the pandemic.
"I don't think that there is any way that you're going to be able to say that COVID does not play a role in terms of what students, children and young people are looking for," he added.
Whether the parent is trying to get the child to homeschool, has to work and leaves all day, or is not present in the child's life, not being able to go to school puts even more pressure on kids, he said.
"School is often the most stabilizing factor that they have," Spokane Police Sgt. Terry Preuninger said. "Teachers are incredibly important in all kids lives, but even more important in the lives of somebody who may not have a support structure outside of school."
With some schools going remote, athletics canceled and pressures in home life, kids are trying to find connections, Hebner said.
"They look for an outlet for that pressure, and that outlet has to lead to some sort of involvement with other people," Hebner said. "And those other people may not be the kinds that are beneficial to society."
Due to the need to belong, kids can unknowingly get wrapped into gangs, Hedner said. Gang members will target kids who feel they do not have an identity within the community or in their family, he added.
"They have nothing else, or at least they perceive they have nothing else," he said. "What we have to be able to do as a community, is we have to give them something else."
Fulcrum found giving a mentor to someone struggling is the best way to curb gang involvement.
"Find a person early on, give them someone to be involved, give them someone who they can talk to and that they trust," Hebner said. "They then can actually not look towards gangs as something that they need."
Some school districts have their own gang prevention plans, identifying early signs of lack of involvement in students and providing them with a mentor.
"They want someone who is going to truly be identifiable in their life," he added. "They want someone who is truly going to be there when they need to talk to somebody."