A St. Louis young artists nonprofit this weekend joined with a north St. Louis church and a trauma surgeon to promote healing from .
On Saturday, the St. Louis Story Stitchers visited the St. Philip鈥檚 Evangelical Lutheran Church Harvest Festival at Sumner High School in The Ville neighborhood to express their pain from the shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.
鈥淣obody wants to suffer alone,鈥� said Story Stitchers Youth Program Coordinator Branden Lewis. 鈥淚 think part of the job of an artist is to express yourself for the people that aren't as able, because when they hear a song that says exactly what they're feeling, or that they can completely relate to, it makes them feel better.鈥�
The gunman killed a student and teacher and wounded several others.
Sumner High School invited the group, which is made up of young people who combat gun violence through song, dance and other forms of artistic expression.
While kids jumped in a moon bounce and adults grilled hot dogs, the artists performed original songs and dances.
鈥淚鈥檓 determined to turn the tables, despite opposition,鈥� two sang. 鈥淜now that we matter.鈥�
Several members of the group, including Lewis, are CVPA graduates. But Lewis said that students from other high schools around the region are hurting from the shooting.
鈥淓verybody could be the victim of a school shooter,鈥� he said. The fact that it happened at CVPA, Lewis said, means 鈥渋t could happen to anybody, anywhere.鈥�
The picnic also featured a lecture from trauma surgeon Dr. LJ Punch about the psychological harm gun violence causes.
鈥淲hen this powder, fire and missile, faster than the speed of sound, hits someone's flesh in a disconnected way, it cuts the soul,鈥� Punch said.
Gunfire-inflicted trauma is different from interpersonal trauma, he said. Unlike when someone has conflict with a person, there鈥檚 an opportunity for closure. That鈥檚 not possible with a bullet, he said.
After the lecture, Punch, who founded the community health organization , took questions from the audience about how to cope with the effects of gun violence.
鈥淪imple things like kindness, generosity, listening and holding still, not having judgment and just telling them as much as you can in every way possible that they鈥檙e safe now, is a very powerful way to help people,鈥� he said.
Punch said both adults and children need to first listen to what their bodies need 鈥� whether it鈥檚 sleep, relaxation or food. They also need to remind themselves the tragedy is not their fault.
Adults, he added, need to show young people that they鈥檙e taking their pain seriously.
鈥淭he safe haven of our creatives was destroyed,鈥� Punch said. 鈥淚 don't know what's more precious 鈥� that is one thing I can say. The kids need to know how much we care.鈥�
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