BALTIMORE — A global non-profit called Everytown for Gun Safety partnered with local streetwear designers to create anti-gun violence apparel.
Each of the designers hopes to spread a very important message.
"You don't have to shoot nobody; you don't have to kill; there’s always a better way of living life," said Messiah Jones.
They say having this type of event to release their merchandise is also a way of bringing people in the community together who have a common goal.
“Our city we really have a trend of supporting negativity over positivity, so once I seen when I pulled up and go in and see all of the people in the orange and supporting positivity, it just makes me smile," said Sampson Ashby Jr.
"Some people wear shirts that say things that’s disrespectful in nature, and that will send a message to somebody else that turn them off, and we’ll send a better message with a shirt, oh you're looking at it, oh it's a QR code on it; scan it, and a bigger message will be inside of what you see," said Chaquan Johnson.
16-year-old Messiah Jones created his own brand called Concept, and he tells WMAR-2 News it was important for him to be involved to represent his generation.
“I'm just trying to bring hope to the city, and then what better way to do it like from somebody like from the youth. So, it’s like I’m a young entrepreneur; I’m a teenager, so all I’m trying to do is inspire the youth to do better," said Jones.
Ashby Jr. said he has lost a childhood friend every year since 2014 and that it's time for something to change.
“Once we become numb to it, because I’m a victim of becoming numb to the violence and I don’t have a time, i don’t have the time to actually grieve on situations," said Sampson.
He hopes people will not only grieve but also help spread this message of ending gun violence in Baltimore.
The QR code found on the back of the shirts is linked to everystat.org, which has accurate date on gun deaths in Maryland and how this state compares to others in the U.S.
