ST. LOUIS – St. Louis police had a busy weekend in the city after a series of violence struck the community.
Three people were killed and at least 19 were wounded in 18 separate shootings and stabbings.
This violence is enough to make anyone worry about their safety. Ronald Jones who’s a funeral director said it’s disheartening how many young people are being killed.
"What I do for a living is a calling and people don't realize everybody's not cut out for this. You find people at the lowest point of their life sometimes you're a social worker, you're a psychologist, and you just have to show compassion and empathy to these people," Jones said.
Jones has been a funeral owner, taking care of grieving families for more than four decades. However, Jones said there are times his work is disturbing.
"I just recently had a seven-year-old and I had to fight back the tears when preparing because, the fact that this child hadn't even begun," Jones said.
He’s seen bullets create carnage taking the smallest victims.
"I’ve even had kids who were in the arms of their father somebody shooting at the father and end up killing the baby. I don't get no satisfaction out of servicing young people I'd rather have old people who've lived their life," Jones said.
That’s why he believes talking with the youth and letting them hear from people who have been in troubling situations could be a start to transforming the violence.
"It’s going to take economics, also I think the people who've been to jail people who have experienced it and have done these long sentences and stuff like that should communicate with these kids," Jones said.
That’s why he is communicating with kids inviting groups of them into the funeral home to let them know violence can equal death.
"If I can save one child and keep him off my table that would satisfies me," Jones said.
And Jones said those lessons aren't the only answer of why this major issue of violence exists.
"The high-powered weapons that they're getting there not coming from no gun store. So, where the guns coming from. When you lose the fear of dying you're dangerous," Jones said.
