KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, native has committed his life to finding solutions to violence as the city still struggles to find peace.
KCPD said seven people were killed in a 72-hour span during the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.
City leaders such as the chief of police, mayor, and Jackson County prosecutor held a press conference to address the violence and spell out ways their offices are working to fix the issue.
KCPD Chief of Police Stacey Graves said there's a common theme in many of the crimes the department responds to.
“Kansas Citians are resorting to violence to settle conflicts and we’ve got to change that," Graves said.
A conflict led to Wesley Hamilton being shot multiple times. He suffered a spinal cord injury and is paralyzed from the waist down.
“My journey was defeating. I’ve been through several years of bed rest, 21 hours a day must lying in bed at home," Hamilton said. "The up and downs of learning to accept yourself, but also trying to find acceptance from other people as a wheelchair user, you deal with a lot of societal barriers when it comes to accessibility."
Hamilton is what KCPD calls a "living victim," someone who is shot, but survives.
According to the department, there are 189 living victims as of 05/28/2023. There were 175 living victims as of 05/28/2022.
Instead of relaitate, Hamilton looked for solutions. He founded "Disabled But Not Really." The nonprofit helps people living with disabilities.
“It’s all about helping individuals create their own identity," he said. "No matter their circumstances and we believe that once you start to push yourself, you feel empowered by the things that you can do for yourself, by yourself, then you start to create a new reality.”
Hamilton and city leaders said community members needs to join leaders in solving the crime problem.
“We have to do the work," Hamilton said. "The community has to come in and make the changes and solutions that we’re looking for."
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