“We Need to Get Rid of Illegal Guns to End the Violence”

I interviewed two fathers who have experienced the devastating impact of gun violence. Both lost sons. Here’s their take on what needs to be done to stop the madness.

America has an epidemic on its hands. Yes, we all know about COVID-19. But I’m talking about another epidemic–gun violence. It’s a general problem that also affects rap and sports personalities. XXXTENTACION, Pop Smoke, King Von, Tupac, and Jackson Weller, among many others, have lost their lives to guns.

To honor XXXTENTACION (photo, The Guardian)

I know that experts have weighed in on the problem and what should be done to address it, but I wanted to get a birds-eye view. So I interviewed Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, father of XXXTENTACION, and Charlie Brown, Lil Snupe’s dad. XXXTENTACION died in 2008 at age 20, and Lil Snupe passed away in 2013 at age 18.

Onfroy told me that “Gun violence in rap hit home for me as an adult when I had to witness my dead son on YouTube slumped backward in a car. It’s honestly horrible to see in rap and sports.” So what would it take to turn things around? Brown responded without hesitation: “We need to get rid of illegal guns to end the violence.” Onfroy agrees. “As long as illegal guns are being sold, that problem will exist.”

The dads agreed again when I asked them to reflect on what could have been had their sons gone on to live full lives. “Unfulfilled potential” was the way Onfroy put it. And even though I interviewed the two fathers separately, Brown answered using the very same word, “Potential.”

“I gotta lot of knowledge that I can share with young and old persons,” Brown continued. That’s why he wants to get illegal guns off the streets.

I agree! It’s the right place to start.