Midtown community reacts to shooting

Community leaders speak out after shooting in midtown injures five people.

Community leaders sounding off after last night's shooting in midtown st.

Joseph, thanks for joining us i'm alan van zandt.

Those community leadears say they're disheartened about the recent violence and now they say the only way to move forward is with action.

Kq2's ron johnson tells us what they had to say.

<<ron johnson reporting a day after a midtown shooting sends five people to hospital, community leaders say the time is now for action we need the city to come together at this time.they're hoping the violence serves as a wake up call for the whole st.

Joseph community.

They say its time for a different approach in how the community responds to shootings we are so much a community that is reactive, why do we wait for a death why do we wait for a lawsuit why do we wait for something polarizing like this to say oh my gosh everybody get together.

We have to get out of crisis mode, we have lives at stake this is black lives, hispanic, white multiracial, this is our community.they say the practice of only coming together after a violent crime occurs has to stop.

Instead they say there needs to be more of a focus on prevention efforts and improving the lives of those living in underserved areas.

That, they say will in-turn improve those communities.training , education giving people hope for jobs drawing bridges to each other.

But to do that, they say they need the help and support of everyone in the city from the top down, and they say that support starts by taking ownership of the problem and its contributing factors.if you're mad and angry about this shooting, be angry because it could be your son or daughter next time, be angry because our kids are dropping out of school and they're disenfranchised with every system here.

Ron johnson kq2 news.>> five people suffered gunshot wounds in the shooting and were taken to the hospital, police said four victims have since been released.