Sydney Mollett, whose brother Schuyler Mollett was shot and killed in 2013, read 120 names of people killed by gun violence at the most recent city commission meeting.
“That’s not just 120; that’s all I got to give you in three minutes. Those are the names of the victims that have fallen to gun violence in Springfield, Ohio and Clark County,” Mollett said. “And we ask that you help us.”
Dion Green, a survivor of the Oregon District mass shooting and founder of the nonprofit Fudge Foundation, followed with a few minutes of silence.
“I just took a moment to be quiet because all those names that she said, their voices have been silenced by gun violence, and there are still countless more to even name,” Green said.
Several organizations and people are working to fight gun violence in the community, Green said.
“There’s no one effort that can change this fight; this is a marathon,” he said. “So for everybody that keeps saying this gun violence, quit saying something and do something about it.”
Springfield has “suffered decades of loss due to gun violence,” local organizer and activist Jen Casto said.
“This ongoing crisis makes it clear the current strategies are not working,” Casto said.
Casto highlighted the words of a middle school teacher at the July 1 commission meeting: “My students know how to handle a gun before they can write a compound sentence.”
Casto urged more investment in youth and for residents to join monthly marches to end gun violence, as well as support organizations fighting the problem.
The federal government recently canceled the majority of a community violence prevention grant, resulting in a loss of $1.24 million for Springfield’s local efforts to curb gun violence.
A coalition of nine local agencies, led by OIC, used almost $400,000 on research and planning to launch a street outreach program to begin concrete efforts to reduce gun violence, particularly among young people.
Springfield lately has seen a rising trend in gun violence, both fatal and non-fatal. Springfield saw higher numbers of homicides from 2021 to 2023 (nine, then eight, then 11), before a drop to 6 in 2024, followed by a rise to eight so far in 2025.
Devon Hendricks, who often speaks about the need for engaging Springfield’s youth to prevent gun violence, talked about the ripple effects one shooting has on a community.
“One body gone, one shooter down in the system, two mothers grieving, four parents hurting, 10 plus family members affected, 30 friends scarred, 100 community members traumatized, one whole future never lived, babies that might never be born and one retaliation waiting to happen,” Hendricks said. “It’s probably on an innocent person because that person (the shooter) is locked up.”
Assistant Mayor Dave Estrop criticized federal and state laws increasing gun availability, specifically pointing to Ohio’s open carry laws.
Frequent attendee Diana Daniels — who has often been a critic of the city commission, as well as of the previous Biden administration — then clapped loudly, and Mayor Rob Rue told her to leave.
“Thank you, Diana, I’m glad you support my position,” Estrop said before Daniels left. “The state of Ohio passed the open gun law, and I think we ought to be looking at, since they passed the law, is this state a safer place? Because I don’t think it is but I want to see some numbers.”
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