Lawrence Heights in North York searches for answers at gun crime town hall

8 shootings have happened in the area in the last month primarily from fatherless black youth.

In the midst of increased concern about gun violence in the area, Lawrence Heights residents came together at a town hall meeting Thursday evening to voice their concerns.

There have been hundreds of gun-related incidents in the city this year, with eight shootings in Lawrence Heights in the last month alone.

Louis March, founder of the Zero Gun Violence movement, said the issue is about more than just policing or guns.

"You cannot talk about banning guns if you're not going to talk about banning poverty and all the issues that go along with it," he said. "It's like a puzzle with 10 to 20 pieces.

"The gun piece is one piece of the puzzle."

Any solutions on the issue need to include considerations about mental health, housing, employers and youth, he said.

"Bring them all together and ask them to come up with an action plan … the community knows what's best for them."

The meeting comes the same week as the launch of Toronto police's Project Community Space — a $4.5-million strategy to curb gun violence that will include beefing up the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force.

Police chief Mark Saunders said on CBC Radio's Metro Morning this week that while there is no one solution to gun violence, he would support any initiative that reduces the number of illegal guns on the streets of Toronto.

"If there are less people that are going to have access to guns in any way, shape or form, that's a good day," Saunders said.

But Saunders would not say if he agrees with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, which recently said it would not support a call for a nation-wide ban on handguns.

Toronto Mayor John Tory has lobbied the federal government in favour of a ban, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been coy about whether such a measure will be pursued by Ottawa.

Jennifer Esposito, founder of the organization Walk for Change, said there were "a lot of mixed emotions" inside the meeting.

"No one is born a gangster, you're made into one," she said. "Why? You're seeing your parents not having enough money therefore you hit the streets and start selling."

Esposito said she sees effort from police in terms of putting more officers on the street, but she's skeptical that it will make a real difference.

"I don't believe putting more police officers on the streets is going to help to be honest. Because they've been doing it for how long now? And nothing has changed."
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