BALTIMORE — For one family, yesterday's ruling that a teen will now be tried as an adult was a hurdle cleared.
For the other, it's a sobering reminder of the consequences behind gun violence.
An educator inside of the courtroom saw the ruling as a call to action to change the trajectory of our city's next generation.
RELATED: Judge orders Reynolds murder case with teen defendant to remain in adult court
Thursday, Edwin Avent the CEO of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys got an up-close look at why he's an educator in the first place.
Sitting inside of the Baltimore's Juvenile Justice Center for a hearing centered on the teen now charged with first degree murder, he calls moments inside the courtroom sobering.
"When the young man was first brought into court in shackles in chains, you know, and I'm looking at a little 15-year-old boy. He could be a student at my school easily," said Avent.
It was a view quite opposite of what he envisions for his own students.
"In that picture, we're going to see the next mayor of Baltimore or a mayor in Baltimore, maybe the next Black governor in the State of Maryland in this picture," he said.
Avent tells us what was revealed about the teen squeegee worker accused of killing Timothy Reynolds back in July and how it affects many minors across Charm City today.
RELATED: Court docs describe video showing man walking away before deadly squeegee encounter
"He said that part of him being on the corner with the other squeegee boys was that was his community. He saw the guys, when they asked him do you have mentors, he said yeah some of the squeegee guys are his mentors, so a lot of these young men are looking to belong," shared Avent.
Leading the BCSB is what he hopes will be a part of the shift in culture of young men who have been victims and perpetrators of violent crime.
"One of our mottos is whatever hurts my brother hurts me. Whatever helps my brother helps me. So, we're trying to instill that into these young men, a part of their culture, a part of their ethos," Avent said.
It's done by teaching, reading, writing and math, but also developing those soft skills essential to becoming a professional and leading a family someday.
"How they should come into school dressed every day prepared, on time with your pants pulled up with a belt on, with a shirt and tie in place," Avent explained.
Avent challenges every man in the city moved by the chaos surrounding our youth to jump in and get involved.
"We're always looking for more mentors at our schools, more role models who can come in and speak to the boys. We're looking for people who have job opportunities for our boys during the summer so they can expose them to their careers," said Avent.
For information on how to get involved with Baltimore Collegiate Schools for Boys click here.
