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Updated: June 16, 2026 @ 2:45 am
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — As violence continues to impact Champaign neighborhoods, more than 30 residents, parents and community leaders gathered Monday night at the Champaign Public Library looking for answers and action.
The town hall came just more than a week after 16-year-old Tri’vvone Wesley was shot and killed in Champaign.
Organizer Tony Odom said the goal of the meeting was to focus on immediate solutions the community can take to help reduce violence.
“Basically this is the ‘What Can We Do’ community meeting, basically discussing immediate things that we can do to curb violence and just to show kids love and create options for success for them as a community,” said Tony Odom, a community activist and barber.
Throughout the meeting, community members stressed that preventing violence starts with building stronger connections with young people before problems escalate.
“Adult males, when y’all out there in the community, don’t just walk past the young brothers and don’t acknowledge them. Speak to them, ask them how they’re going. It makes a big difference because these kids think nobody cares about them,” said one Champaign parent.
Others said addressing violence also means changing how young men are taught to process emotions and handle conflict.
“We need to help our young men learn another concept of masculinity besides this Western notion of masculinity where you have to be tough and have to be hard. Cry. A lot of crying. Because crying releases the tension in your soul,” one community member said.
Participants also called for more mentorship opportunities, youth programs and a greater effort to listen to what young people say they need.
“So I think that we should find programs like fight clubs. They obviously are resolving conflict with violence. We also need to teach how not to resolve conflict with violence. We need to ask the kids what they want and just be intentional with our movement,” another community member said.
Odom said meaningful change will require support from every corner of the community.
“I think that us showing that we have each other’s back together — parents, coaches, parishioners, all type of walks of life — just showing a united front will push this initiative forward as far as peace and nonviolence,” Odom said.
Odom said he hopes the question eventually shifts from “What can we do?” to “What can I do?”
He plans to hold the town halls monthly and hopes more parents will bring their children so young people can be part of the conversation.
Several Champaign city leaders and council members attended the meeting.
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