CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A community activist is on a mission to keep violence out of schools.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Community activist handed out gun locks over the weekend
  • Bernel Berry continues to promote his message "Life Over Violence Everyday" through his organization, 1Love 
  • He says he handed out more than 100 gun locks

 

Bernel Berry promotes the message "Life Over Violence Everyday" through his organization 1Love.

Earlier this summer, he worked to spread that message before the start of the new school year.

Now, with the school in session, he says he handed out more than 100 gun locks over the weekend, to continue promoting that message.

In about 68% of school gun-related incidents, the guns used were taken from the home, a friend or relative, according to Sandy Hook Promise.

Bernel hopes that giving gun locks out to parents can help prevent that from happening.

“So that way, when a child goes to get the gun, it’s not accessible,” he said. “And if the gun is not accessible, then the chances of that gun making it back to the high school is very minimal.”

He handed the locks out on Sunday, before the start of a new school week.

“This week just might save some kid's life,” he said. "So if parents go home today, it’s Sunday, and really uses this, taking responsibility and really using this lock, this week might be a safer week in our CMS schools and on our streets.”

The gun locks being handed out were donated by CMPD and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.