BUFFALO, N.Y. — During the COVID-19 pandemic, New York saw a surge in gun violence. Recent numbers from the state show that the number dropping, but there is more work to be done.

“The primary reason that I'm deeply involved in this because probably 374 funerals and or peace/prayer vigils that I've had to attend since beginning this work," said Pastor James Giles, of the Back to Basics Outreach Ministries.

People representing many groups working to fight gun violence gathered Wednesday night.

“This is about building long tables to make sure that everyone knows everyone,” explained Buffalo Common Council member Zeneta Everhart.

It's a statewide and nationwide conversation that's ongoing since the May 14, 2022, mass shooting.

“While the nation and the state very much focused on it in the aftermath here in Buffalo, that trauma continues to reverberate,” explained Rebecca Fischer, the executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

The conversation was hosted by NYAGV and Everhart, whose son was injured in that tragedy.

“Gun violence is not just something that we should react to," said Ronald Dixon, the special projects manager for Crime Prevention for the city of Buffalo. "It should be a responsive measure.”

From 2022 to 2023, there was a 33% drop in deaths from gun violence, according to the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services. That comes after numbers surged during the pandemic.

“The virus caused an upheaval in all of the structural problems that were already very much impacting communities that felt helpless and powerless,” explained Fischer.

They're issues with which this community is all too familiar.

“We’re having this conversation with a youth who was involved in gun violence. One thing I thought that was really, really important that he said was, 'if you are taking a gun out of my hand, what are you putting in it,'" noted Dina Thompson, the executive director of the Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition. "Are we putting hope? Are we putting jobs? Are we putting higher education? Are we putting mental health services?”

The people at this table try to intervene with kids, families and even in hospitals after someone’s been shot.

“I want to show them that change can be made. There's better options other than retaliation,” added Willie Griffin, the lead hospital responder for Brave/SNUG at ECMC.

Many in the crowd support these efforts, but note that getting the message out is hard.

“If we don't stop it before it starts, we're going to continue having these meetings and trying to come up with a solution,” said one man.

“I've come in to support, but I'm also a mother of a 15-year-old, and there is nowhere for them to go,” added another woman.

“This should not be this hard for you to find resources, and I think that's what the councilwoman is saying,” added a second man.

That means while their efforts, alongside law enforcement's, are seeing results, the work’s not done.

“Everyone is working in their own silos, right, to attack gun violence and deal with our youth and create programming. But there is no one entity attacking it together," Everhart said. "I want us to stay at this table and just make it bigger.”

The group also discussed funding. Often, groups that are in the know are the only ones applying for money to help their efforts. The hope is that bringing everyone to the table won’t just help with sharing ideas, but that it’ll also help with spreading the wealth.

Anyone looking for more information can head to New Yorkers Against Gun Violence's website. There, you can find information about their activism and public safety partnership initiatives. Council member Everhart will also continue to engage the community in Buffalo.

In addition, Buffalo is looking into crime prevention through environmental design. That research is ongoing. Anyone interested in that can check out their website or call 716-851-5534.