Governor Meyer meets with Seaford organizations on National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer met with Seaford advocates, local leaders, public safety officials and community members last Friday at the Norman N. Poole Community Center at Chandler Heights to discuss gun violence reduction and prevention efforts. It was the governor’s second of three stops on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, starting in Laurel and ending with a rally in Rehoboth Beach.

Two young men lost their lives to gun violence earlier this spring, and Beth Kopicki, founder of Nonviolent Seaford, says the community is still healing but is also motivated.

“We’ve seen how systemic issues like poverty and racism contribute to a cycle of violence, and enough is enough,” said Kopicki. “At Nonviolent Seaford, we believe in empowering our community through education, art, and dialogue to foster understanding and peace. By addressing these underlying issues and promoting nonviolence, we aim to break the cycle and build a more compassionate and safe community for our children and neighbors.”

Beth Kopicki, Coordinator and Founder of Nonviolent Seaford, center, speaks during last Friday’s event at the Norman N. Poole Community Center at Chandler Heights in Seaford. The event was Governor Matt Meyer’s second of three stops in Sussex County on National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

“If there’s a single shooting in our state, if there’s a single Delawarean killed this day, this month, this year, it’s one too many,” Meyer said prior to the Seaford event.

Kopicki, a school teacher, started Non-Violent Seaford four years ago to help end gun violence. 

“I can’t imagine the pain any parent would feel losing a child to gun violence,” Kopicki said. “It breaks my heart that kids can’t play on the playground, that we have to shut down their schools because of a shooting.”

Seaford Police Chief Marshall Craft said the department has been partnering with non-profits in Seaford. He said the community needs to work with the department and work collaboratively to build relationships. He urged community members to see something and say something.

Kopicki told the group that she was motivated to start Non-Violent Seaford after she had to explain to five-year-olds, who didn’t speak English, why they had to hide behind a desk and throw things at bad men who might come into the classroom. She added that parental involvement is needed.

The organization partners with the Society of St. Andrew, Coalition for Safer Delaware, Seaford Police, Seaford Community Hope Garden, and others. Representatives from the following organizations were among those present for the meeting, which was closed to the press following Craft and Kopicki’s opening presentations: Redemption City and North Star Navigation Center, Better Homes of Seaford, Alternative Solutions Consulting Group, LLC, Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services’ System of Care, Delaware Fatherhood and Family Coalition, Seaford Community of Hope, and Children & Families First. Also in attendance were Rep. Danny Short, Dr. Jeffrey Benson, and Pastor Idola Batson.

“There’s a lot of folks doing great things. We just need to coordinate with each other,” said Kopicki.

Governor meets with Laurel leaders to see what is being done to combat gun violence

Earlier on Friday, Meyer came to New Zion United Methodist in Laurel to see what community leaders have been doing to combat gun violence. The town saw four of its young people die in separate shootings in 2023, one of which took place in Georgetown.

“There is nothing more important than making sure that kids can play safely outside,” Meyer said. “The reality is for too many Delaware families that is not true and for too many Laurel families that is not true.”

Laurel native Terrance Frisby was shot and killed in February of 2023. In April, Corey Mumford was shot and killed in Laurel.

Operation West Laurel (OWL) met at the church following the death of Mumford.

“We knew we had to do something. We had to do something immediately,” said OWL founder Amy Handy. “We knew it had to stop. We could not let this happen any longer.”

The group held weekly engagement walks, hosted empower youth workshops to get youth off the streets, and held camps for kids.

“We started doing all of that and the violence still continued,” Handy said.

Taylor German (September) and Kylee Robinson (October) were shooting victims later in 2023.

A town meeting was held with then Governor John Carney and the Governor’s Task Force was started.

“Our efforts are making a difference but we want that to continue,” said Handy.

Laurel Police Chief Rob Kracyla offered his condolences to the family members in attendance at the start of his presentation.

“We’re doing our absolute best to make sure that never happens again. We’re not going to arrest out way out of this,” said Kracyla. “It’s more than just a police problem.”

Kracyla said the problem Laurel is facing a socioeconomic one, adding that they need to work together as a community and invest in its youth.

“We are a gang town. We have to recognize that,” he said.

Kracyla reported that 1.9 percent of the population is doing 80 percent of the crime in town. He also said that 85 percent of kids in town come from single-family homes. As a result, they need opportunities, like the recent community clean-up held in town.

The chief said that one year ago the police department committed to decrease violence and gun violence, which he called a community-based program.

Governor Meyer, who began his career as a fourth-grade teacher in Washington, D.C., said he created the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to put gun violence under a microscope.

“We’re here to support your amazing efforts,” Meyer told those in attendance on Friday. “I want to make sure we’re supporting you.”

End Community Violence Now Executive Director Lauren Footman said part of the reason for the meetings was to make sure those closest to the pain are closest to the solution. Before leaving for his next stop on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Meyer asked to hear from the victim’s family members who were in attendance.

“The support from the community has been amazing,” said Tesha Horsey, Mumford’s mom. “It’s hard to lose a child not matter the circumstances but to lose a child in this way is even harder.”

Mumford died after being shot on April 14, 2023, while walking home from school. Horsey, who grew up in Laurel, said her son loved the community. She recalled being outside in Laurel all day as a child, something that is no longer the case for children in Laurel.

“It’s hard to think what the future holds if changes don’t happen,” she said. “I don’t want to sit in another meeting where another parent is added to this panel. The time is now to make the changes.”

Corey Mumford looked forward to playing basketball in college. The day he was shot he was texting his mom about what kind of sneakers he wanted to wear on his college signing day. They texted back and forth until suddenly the text messages stopped coming into Horsey.

“Just that quick your life can turn upside down in a matter of minutes,” said Horsey. “What hurt is he couldn’t continue his life, to see where his future could hold. He was excited for his future and just in a matter of seconds, because of somebody else’s bad decision, that was taken away.”

Kylee Robinson was communicating on the phone with his mom about homecoming when he and other kids were shot in broad daylight. The shooters walked down the street with ski masks, but nobody called the police before the shooting.

“Nobody wants to talk about it and nobody wants to be involved,” said Stevens, who added that no one has been questioned and no arrests have been made since the murder of her son. “I’ve been trying to fight for justice for my son.”

“Stop letting them go when they get caught with a gun. You’re going to have kids keep shooting each other because they don’t have any consequences,” Stevens added.