AUSTIN (KXAN) — Teen gun violence in Texas has seen a rise over the last few years, but there are groups fighting back.
Campers at the Swim to Code camp spent the summer learning how to swim and code on computers, but they also learned about gun violence.
Organizers of the camp tell KXAN it’s a way to prepare kids for the future and also keep them out of harms way.
“A lot of the kids are from low economic homes. However, what we try to do is bridge the gap and we try to expose them to something they haven’t necessarily been exposed to,” said Nnamnse Ammons, executive director of Swim to Code. “The other thing we deal with is gun violence.”
According to a 2023 report from the Texas Tribune, more teens in Texas are dying each year due to gun-related violence. In 2022, eight in every 100,000 Texans ages 12 to 17 were killed by guns.
Campers spent each day taking swimming lessons, learning how to code and then would discuss topics like gun violence.
“Recently around Austin we have noticed a trend in youth being involved with guns,” said Sean Oliver with Life Anew.
Oliver said making sure kids have positive mentors in their life can help guide them to success.
“We are not Chicago, we are not Los Angeles. We are in a place, we are in a time where if we offer the resources, if we get ahead of the gun violence, we can literally stop it,” he said.
Oliver said during the gun violence discussions, counselors try to connect with campers, asking them questions about real life scenarios.
“Have one of your friends ever been shot? Have you ever had a gun pointed at you?” Oliver said.
Ammons said he hopes to make the program year-round and offer it to about 2,000 kids.