KANSAS CITY, MO — A Kansas City, Mo., teen said the shooting Wednesday night in Crown Center is another example of the dangers faced by kids his age.
"Like, I hope I don’t die," Kylan Johnson, 15, said. "I just want to get through high school, get through college maybe,” Johnson said.
Police said the shooting started after an argument involving young adults.
Kylan said he and other teens are worry about survival.
“That’s me, that’s me, that’s me today, last year, that’s pretty much how I’m living my life right now like every single day,” said Johnson.
With the often corrupting influence of social media, a messy home life and other negative situations, Kylan says young people make bad decisions.
“I see and hear about this stuff all day, everyday," Johnson said. "People have it on they "sic" phones holding up guns, money. They be thinking this is the life I’m supposed to be living and stuff. Like nah, that’s not me,that’s not you.”
Teens and younger kids in his community need real solutions focusing on mental health and mentoring centers, according to Johnson.
That includes places like Lyrik’s Institution.
“Kids needs places like this where they can just go and pretty much kind of vent, but not get too deep in it,” Johnson said.
Johnson spends his time at Lyriks Institution learning to cope by talking with adults who experienced similar life experiences.
“We have to land this information and it can’t just be surface level," said Kyle Hollins, Executive Director, and Founder of Lyrik’s Institution. "It has to hit them in the soul.”
Hollins said their programs are about decision making and strategies for conflict resolution, emotional intelligence and social interaction. He said there are so many layers to the problems addressing those root layers is crucial.
Kylan said he and his peers are going to wait for change to happen.
“Surviving is just the daily thing," Johnson said. "You just make it through and try not to do nothing stupid."
Kylan isn't the only one, La'Dre Smallwood is also a member of Lyrik's and has learned about accountability and other lessons he will carry for the rest of his life.
"It gets you a lot out of things if you can stop yourself from getting to a point, and you know what to do when you get mad, you can stop yourself from doing wrong," said Smallwood.
