ORLANDO, Fla. — On Monday, the Daytona Beach Police Department arrested Karla Burmudez and charged her with attempted murder in the shooting outside Razzle’s nightclub on Saturday night that left three people injured.
That shooting follows another shooting in Daytona Beach on July 12 that left three men dead.
What You Need To Know
- On Monday, the Daytona Beach Police Department arrested Karla Burmudez and charged her with attempted murder in the shooting outside Razzle’s nightclub on Saturday night that left three people injured
- That shooting follows another shooting in Daytona Beach on July 12 that left three men dead
- Rell Black grew up in Daytona Beach, and says he works to steer young people away from violence
Community leaders are calling for solutions to curb violence in the city after the shootings.
Rell Black grew up in Daytona Beach, and says he works to steer young people away from violence.
Black created the Community Healing Project several years ago to mentor high school kids through Project Gold.
The program’s aim is to guide young people along a more positive path, and away from a lifestyle that could lead to violence.
He knew the three men killed in the July 12 shooting.
“I think we’ve gotten away from the fact that we’re all family, we’re all neighbors, it’s a village, this is a community,” said Black. “When it’s getting to a point where we’re so upset that we have to want to take someone’s life – I think that’s beyond just normalcy, it’s beyond that.”
Black says he’s discouraged by violence that continues to plague a community he grew up in.
He says something must be done differently for things to change.
“I’m called into action, let’s do something,” said Black. “If we have to go door to door doing surveys, how can we stop this? What can we do? How can we make sure that no one else loses a life here? This is stupid.”
Black says about 150 young people have graduated from Project Gold. And he says he’s tried to instill a sense of pride in Daytona Beach in every one of them.
He says if they have pride, they’ll look after the community.
“Once you have that esteem, and it starts with the community, you’re going to want to do better things,” said Black. “So I think we need to get back to that.”
Community leaders in Daytona Beach say they are planning a community-wide meeting to discuss ways to curb the violence on Thursday, August 3 at 6 p.m.
Details of the meeting’s location are yet to be disclosed.