MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One group in Orange Mound hopes to combat crime and battle bullets.
For years, Guns Down in Orange Mound has sought solutions to the problem as a pillar of hope to help bring the community together through outreach projects.
Orange Mound is a historic Memphis neighborhood plagued by crime, including the mass shooting during a block party in April 2024.
The shooting was at Orange Mound Park, where Warren Swift and other members of Guns Down in Orange Mound cleaned up the area to make it more family friendly.
"Ain't nobody going to keep us from the beautiful park that we built up, that we put our soul into," Swift said. "This is our park. We're going to take it back.”
Swift has lived in Orange Mound his entire life. He said despite the violence, there is still a lot of love and hope within the community.
"I graduated from Melrose High School," Swift said. "Then, I'm also the captain of the blight patrol. So it's in my blood because I know plenty of people that love Orange Mound.”
Swift and other community leaders have been working to change the narrative in Orange Mound. The group of solution seekers is ramping up their efforts through different initiatives, including mentoring the youth, hosting events, hosting community cleanups and beautification projects.
"Easter egg hunts. We do vigils. We go out and pray for our community, and we also have a beautiful park that we painted orange," Swift said. "Got our park back in store.”
The goal is to help bring back a sense of community. Swift said the community response has been mostly positive.
"Everybody knows what Guns Down is all about, and everybody knows what we do for our community,” said Swift.
Guns Down in Orange Mound is not alone in their fight to restore the community to its glory. State and city leaders were there June 15 for the annual ‘Walk Against Gun Violence,” where Mayor Paul Young said the city is standing in solidarity with the neighborhood.
Guns Down in Orange Mound is planning their next community event at the park. They said it will focus on giving back to the youth and giving them an outlet for the summer.